


Transit of Venus

by Saveourskinship



Series: Fates and Free Will [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Draco is a dick, Due To Reports From Readers Must Reiterate Big Heartbreak, Everyone becomes friends, Except for Hermione and Draco Natch, Expletives Used Liberally, F/M, Hate Sex, Heartbreak, Hermione Granger/Oliver Wood - Freeform, Hermione Is A Bit Of A Badass, Hermione and Draco are Decidedly Not Fluffy, Hermione and Theo are Fluffy, Hermione is stubborn, Hi Buddy Can You Excuse Us For One Crazy Stalker, No White Knight Only An Asshole, Sex Magic, Soul Magic, Soulmates, Verbal Abuse, What Happens If You And You're Soulmate Mutually Dislike Each Other, When Is A Reformation Too Late?, and smutty, harry is protective, toxic behaviour
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-11
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-16 04:07:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 104,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28700394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Saveourskinship/pseuds/Saveourskinship
Summary: Wizarding Britain is about the undergo the activation of a god-given spell that coincides with the Transit of Venus. Soulmates will show up as runes on the bodies of every eligible witch in the nation and they are given eight years between the first transit in 2004 and the second transit in 2012 to consummate their relationship with a soulmate otherwise they will be blown up with the energy from their runes upon the conclusion of the spell.Hermione has woken up to only one set of runes. Draco shitting Malfoy's. The man has continued to insult her over the years despite his civility with most everyone else. Over her dead freaking body will she allow Draco Malfoy to touch her. Literally.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy, Hermione Granger/Theo Nott
Series: Fates and Free Will [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2152650
Comments: 348
Kudos: 213





	1. Golden Runes

**Author's Note:**

> This is for fun not funds. All rights belong to J. K. Rowling.
> 
> I am a strong supporter of the trans community and strongly disagree with the misguided comments of Ms. Rowling.
> 
> The absolutely amazing CarrieMaxwell has made an incredible Spotify playlist for this story (thank you so much!!): [Transit of Venus: Playlist](https://spoti.fi/3dF3iX8)

**Chapter One: Golden Runes**

_October 1874_

The witch sat in her father’s study. Her quill bouncing on a piece of paper, blotting it recklessly as she thought. Her brow was furrowed. Her plan to integrate the Muggle and wizarding worlds wasn’t working quickly enough.

The magical population was dwindling, and the witch knew that the only way to avoid wizarding Britain devolving into a weakened and incestuous society was to find Muggles of limited magic ability and try to convince her peers to marry and conceive hopefully magical children with said Muggles. The idea was not being well received and with her abilities in Astronomy and Divination she knew what would happen.

She saw dark wizards rising. One soon, and another further in the future were the biggest threats. If she didn’t do this, they would succeed in their plans, crushing Britain in their oppression, spreading it worldwide. She knew she could help wipe out the first one, being so close to the event. The next one would be more difficult as the danger neared toward the end of the cycle.

In her desperation and her brother’s agreement to sneak ancient scrolls to her from his university, she had finally found something. A spell given to a Delphic Oracle from the Ancient World who used the Transit of Venus in a similar way to bolster the Grecian magical population against a harsh upcoming invasion. When that society had finally crumbled, the spell had dissipated but she had no other known source of it being broken.

The only worry she had was what her plan would mean for future generations. She knew she could harness the Transit of Venus power, but it was permanent and every time the transit occurred the spell would reactivate. And when she thought of a future with more Muggle integration, the shadowy second threat became more focused, more likely to occur.

If she cast this, its repetition would cause witches all over Britain hope and heartbreak as the names of their soulmates appeared down their ribs in shimmering runes. Most people had a few soulmates, everyone had at least one. Some had their runes shine in gold that meant the pairing was as close to perfect as possible.

She wasn’t sure if by “soulmate” the spell meant romantic love, platonic love, sexual compatibility, or simply that their offspring would be undoubtedly, magically strong. It could be just one of these or all of them. Or something else entirely. But she couldn’t see any other way.

She knew not everyone found their soulmate and married perfectly compatible but imperfect partners. She knew this was not a particularly good solution and she knew this would affect her in a few years when she turned 21. The spell lasted from the start of the first transit to the end of the second eight years later. At least she would have another four years to find one of her soulmates before the end of the second transit. She was thankful the spell only affected those who were between the ages of 21 and 29 and anyone who subsequently turned 21 within the first four years of the transits.

She knew the consequences were harsh. If the witch did not receive the pleasure that connected her to the cosmos from one of her soulmates, between the first and second transits, she would die. The runes would blast their magic outwards and destroy their host. A cruel fate, hopefully averted with the eight year timeframe. A bold incentive to carry out the spell’s directive.

She hoped that in the future this could be counteracted, but as it stood and how desperate the situation in Britain was, she was convinced this was the only way to save them. She may only be seventeen but with her gift for the future and her faith in the Fates, she knew that she was hardly the first or last teenager to save the wizarding world. In fact, she hoped it could be undone altogether once cast. She certainly intended to dedicate the rest of her life to it.

She sighed and created a scroll for the Department of Mysteries, spelling it so the parchment and her explanation would only open three months before the next event. She took a deep breath, whispered how sorry she was and waved her wand.

It was done.

* * *

_March 2004_

The Department of Mysteries were holding a press conference. Hermione goggled at the article in _The Daily Prophet_. That had absolutely never happened from what she knew. She strode through the Ministry arriving at Harry’s Auror office.

“Is it true?” she asked, shaking the paper at him. She knew her voice must be harsh because Harry winced.

“Yes, and don’t ask me, I have no idea what it’s about,” he had raised his hands in a gesture of innocence. She flumphed into the chair opposite him, taking a large sip of his coffee.

“It can’t be good. If it was good, they would just let whatever it is be,” she wondered aloud.

Harry leaned back in his chair. “You’re probably right, the fact that they announced the press conference beforehand too… they want everyone waiting. It must affect a lot of people, whatever it is.”

“Will you come with me? I want to be there in person,” Hermione asked, glancing at the article again.

Harry quirked his mouth but nodded. “I’ll make sure I’m not out in the field. I’m sure Dawlish will allow it, though you may have to suffer through another recruitment meeting with him.”

“It gets easier saying no every time anyway,” Hermione grumbled.

* * *

The press conference was over. The Department of Mysteries representative wore their mask and had their hood raised the whole time. Of course the operatives in that Department could not reveal their identities. Hermione sat in shock. She could feel Harry shaking her. But her ears were ringing and her mouth was partially ajar, eyes unseeing.

“Hermione!” Harry finally got through to her. “Are you OK?”

She blinked. “Well, that was surprising.”

Harry looked at her, incredulous.

Hermione’s words fell out of her while her mind whirled. “Let’s grab Ginny and get a drink, though I bet any pub we go to in the wizard world will be packed, we’ll head to a Muggle place.”

Harry sat back in his chair looking as weirded out as she felt and nodded.

They met at a small bar around the corner from Grimmauld Place. Harry and Hermione were catching Ginny up on what had happened at the press conference since she had Harpy practice and hadn’t been able to listen to the radio broadcast.

“So, you’re telling me that the Transit of Venus is coming up and every witch in wizarding Britain will get runes on their side showing who their soulmates are? As part of some fertility spell?” Ginny took a big gulp of wine.

“Yup,” Hermione said, still in a tone of disbelief. “Not only that, if us witches don’t sleep with one of our soulmates within the eight years between this transit and the next, the runes will explode and we will die.”

“WHAT?!” Ginny burst out causing those around them to stare.

They waited a bit before continuing their conversation.

“What if you’re not straight?” Ginny asked, her brow furrowing. “What happens then?”

“Apparently the spell doesn’t care about that,” Harry replied. “The runes just show up on any eligible witch and tell them her soulmates. So, yeah, Gin, you may have some women show up on you, too.” He grinned, trying to alleviate the tension they were all feeling.

“Can’t they undo it?” Ginny looked imploringly at the two of them.

Hermione crossed her arms. “This spell is old magic. Potent god-given magic from Ancient Rome or Greece. I think the only way you could even try and remove the spell is if we summoned the goddess Venus or the god Apollo and asked one of them to remove it. It is Venus’ power, but Apollo’s gift to the Delphic oracle after all. However, the ancient gods are notoriously capricious. They would see it as a grave insult to reject what they consider a gift. We probably don’t want to be at war with a bunch of deities.”

Ginny just gaped and then her eyes filled with tears. “But what if… what if your name isn’t there, Harry?”

Harry swallowed, his eyes pricking as well. “We’ll have to cross that bridge when we get to it,” he took her hands and gripped them tightly.

“At least it will be slightly easier for you Hermione, since you’re single,” Ginny eked out.

“Oh yeah, it’s a great excuse for a one-night stand,” she rolled her eyes.

“When is this all happening?” Ginny questioned quietly.

“Three months,” Harry told her.

“That’s a long time to worry,” her small voice was tight with emotion.

Hermione thonked her head on the table. “Yes, it really is.”

* * *

_8 June 2004_

It woke Hermione up, a tingling burn that hit her side at 6.13 a.m. as the Transit began. She felt sick and rushed to the bathroom, but she couldn’t bring herself to look in the mirror. The glow through her thin satin camisole showed that there was only one set of runes, and they were glowing gold.

 _Shit,_ Hermione thought. A near perfect match, but for what? The spell wasn’t specific enough to know. She would only have one person that she could count on to be rid of the curse. For this couldn’t possibly be called a blessing.

She summoned all her courage and jerked her camisole up and there resting high on her ribcage, just below her breast were a set of runes. The worst runes possible.

“Fuck a fucking duck,” she told her reflection.

She walked back to her bed, stumbling a little and got under the covers. She set a timer spell for three minutes and then let herself go. She sobbed and wracked her body with crying. She screamed and yelled and pummeled her pillow. She clutched her chest and wished the runes could explode right now and then the timer went off. She stilled and sat up, wiping her eyes before getting on with her day.

Harry, Ginny, Ron, Ron’s girlfriend Fay and herself had decided to meet up that morning for breakfast to discuss their runes. It had seemed like a good idea before, a show of solidarity but now… not so much.

Hermione copied the style of the runes and made the new ones silver before glamouring the gold ones to hide them. She’d read about the spell extensively and had made a list of potential names to place there just in case something like this occurred. A detailed illustration helping her perfect it.

She had made that plan thinking Harry’s name would appear on her skin though, the spell didn’t indicate whether platonic love counted, and she knew it would break Ginny’s heart if Harry was written on her. Her friend used to worry, like her brother before her, about their friendship and she didn’t want to reignite that spark of jealousy. She was happy for the contingency, but not happy with the reason for needing it.

When she arrived at Grimmauld Place, she saw through the window that Ron was already there and they were all smiling, it must be good news. She blew out a quick breath and steeled herself. She pulled her flowy white blouse up to check her silver runes were still there and the force of the Transit of Venus spell hadn’t removed them. But there they were, sparkling in the morning sun that winked off a nearby car to blind her for a moment.

She steeled herself and allowed a real smile to grace her face. She knocked.

Ginny had bounded to the door and immediately pulled her into a hug, letting it close behind them.

“Soooo Harry, the love of your life, made it?” Hermione sing-songed at her.

“Yes! See!” Ginny turned to show the sheer panelling of her Quidditch training shirt. Not only was Harry’s name on there, but translating the other runes, so was Blaise Zabini, Susan Bones and Cho Chang. Of course the lovely and popular Ginevra Weasley had a soulmate in each of the four Hogwarts Houses.

They walked into the dining room where Ginny happily bounced over to Harry and sat on him, kissing his cheek. Harry looked very happy as well.

“Hey Fay, lovely to see you again,” Hermione said to the witch. They’d been at school with Faye Dunbar and she was an Auror in Harry’s office as well. Ron and her hadn’t been dating for too long, four months maybe.

Fay smiled at Hermione. She was a confident woman and really good for Ron, helping him make his own decisions instead of mothering him like Hermione had done while they were together.

“Do we have a matching name, Hermione?” Fay asked with a twinkle. Hermione knew she’d be able to count on an unthreatened attitude from Fay.

Hermione smiled at the woman and lifted her shirt. Ron, Harry and Ginny used their Runespecs to translate, while Fay was able to decipher them on her own much like herself. The shimmering runes spelled out: _Oliver Wood, Ron Weasley, Theodore Nott_.

“I’m glad you got a Slytherin, too, Gin. It makes me feel better,” Hermione replaced her shirt. “And just in case it isn’t clear… Ron, you know I love you, but we are better apart and I’ll work something out with one of the other two, OK?” He nodded, looking relieved.

“You said matching though Fay, does that mean...?” Hermione trailed off.

Faye turned and lifted her T-Shirt, Ron’s name was there, and a name Hermione didn’t know. Luke Cholderton.

“I’m really happy for you!” Hermione hugged them both. She was genuinely glad for them. Fay was the first witch in a while Ron had dated whom Hermione actually liked.

They ate breakfast, chatting amiably and Hermione kept up the pretence of being happy with her fake runes. She’d been careful with her choices. Ron was a given as most people would have assumed it. Theo and Oliver she was friendly enough with and Ginny knew she was attracted to both of them. If someway or how word got out that they were Hermione’s runes, she knew they would be alright about it. And they were both currently single.

She headed to work with Fay and Harry, heading into the office down the hall from them where the other bounty hunters were given assignments. Much like her time in Hogwarts when she had picked every subject in third year, Hermione had asked to spend a couple of years learning different parts of the Ministry. She intended to become Minister for Magic someday and wanted to have a well-rounded perspective of each area she would ultimately oversee. If she won, of course. Well, those _had_ been her goals.

She had started in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures and had successfully passed bills for House Elf Reform, Werewolf and Vampire Rights as well as protections for integrating all of them plus centaurs and goblins more readily into wizarding society.

Then she’d moved into the Department for Magical Sports and Games which is how she had reacquainted herself with Oliver. She had only lasted a little over a year there as it wasn’t particularly interesting and her agenda to try to integrate more interest in other wizarding games other than Quidditch had fallen on deaf ears.

Craving adventure after the dull work for Sports and Games, she had decided to become a bounty hunter. She had known her bossy nature would come out around Harry and she didn’t want to step on his toes there, so she’d made a lateral move where they wouldn’t work directly with each other.

She found the bounty hunts thrilling. She needed to research, plan and think on her feet. Sometimes there were even puzzles to solve and curses to break. She was coming up 2 years at this post though and would probably move on in another 6 months.

Walking through the Ministry, she saw some people were elated, others clearly devastated as she had been and some nervous. This spell was really going to mess with everyone.

Heading to her boss’ office she knocked and was bade entry.

“Morning, Granger,” Rudyard Froome welcomed her. He was always writing reports or signing things so rarely looked up from his desk. Today was no exception despite the noisy chaos from outside. “I don’t have your next assignment ready yet, so finish up your paperwork and do some training until I call you.”

Hermione just nodded and left. She’d already finished her paperwork and filed it of course, but she slowed as she passed Hestia Carrow. The witch looked despondent which was unusual for her usual bored yet brusque countenance.

“You OK?” Hermione asked, summoning a cup of tea and handing it to the witch. They weren’t exactly friendly, but they respected each other’s work.

“My husband’s name wasn’t in my runes,” she said more to the air than to Hermione. “He’s divorcing me, probably wanted to do it for a while given how relieved he seemed not to see his name.”

“I’m really sorry, that’s just awful. Honestly, this bloody spell!” Hermione was angry again. She knew the anonymous whoever that had originally cast it thought they were saving the world, but holy Merlin’s nose hairs, at what cost?

Hestia shook herself out of it slightly. “What about you?” she said, clearly meaning her runes.

“They’re... not great,” Hermione responded with a shrug. ‘Here, let me finish up your paperwork. Maybe you could take the rest of the day off?”

Hestia just nodded and mumbled a thank you. The poor witch had been thrown for a loop today. A burning anger simmered in Hermione.

She spent the remainder of the morning finishing the reports and filing them away. Her next assignment still hadn’t been pulled so she decided to go get changed and do some yoga to help calm herself.

In the changing room, Hermione heard wild rumours, half of which she assumed could not possibly be true. Midge had heard her cousin’s runes said not only her husband, but her husband’s brother and the brothers were now questioning the parentage of her son. Tracey’s best friend had already romantically reconnected with her school sweetheart when his name showed up in gold, Greta whispered of women who were silvering fake names on their bodies to get a shot at bedding one of the wealthy heirs, coveting spots of being a trophy girlfriend and benefitting from jewellery and luxury. There were eight years, so why not try enjoy a little something before you had to go off and find one of your real soulmates.

Hermione felt a pang of guilt at that. She always forgot that calm, quick-witted Theo was actually from a huge estate and had millions of Galleons at his disposal. In her cubicle, she glanced down at where her runes had been. She’d taken them off as soon as she’d left Harry’s place, but she quickly checked the gold ones. They were still hidden, and she exhaled.

She’d had no intent to actually pursue her fake soulmates though probably wouldn’t reapply the charm again unless she had to for some reason.

She dressed in olive green yoga pants and a matching training top that stopped at the bottom of her waist allowing a small expanse of toned stomach to show. Managing her hair into a plaited ponytail, she went into the training room.

It wasn’t as busy as normal, but there were still people around. Hermione found a mat and started on various yoga poses, focusing on core strength and flexibility, two things she often found she needed most in her current position with the DMLE.

She had closed her eyes while doing breathing exercises, balancing on one leg while bringing the other behind her, leg bent and foot aligned with her head, hand pulling her ankle upward to stretch further when she heard a Scottish accent in front of her say, “Hermione?”

She opened her eyes and luckily maintained her balance as she saw Oliver Wood standing there. “Afternoon, Olly,” she replied. Placing a hand on his shoulder for balance after she’d let go of her leg, extending it and tilting her upper half downwards. Oliver corrected her form, gently manoeuvring her muscles as he had so many times before when they had exercised together.

She was looking at the ground when a pair of decidedly unsporty black-laced shoes appeared beside Olly’s trainers.

She slowly righted herself and a flash went off in the doorway. Before Hermione could lecture them on cameras not being allowed in this part of the Ministry, they’d run off.

Turning back, she was surprised to see Theo. He didn’t work at the Ministry, so she had no idea what he was doing here.

“Miss Granger,” he said in greeting with a bob of his head.

“Hermione, Theo. Always Hermione, Theo.”

She looked at the both of them and they looked back and then at each other.

“So, what can I do for the two of you?” she asked, taking a drink of water.

Theo coloured a little while looking away and Olly good-naturedly chuckled.

“You may not be aware, Hermione,” Olly said, “but you were in this morning’s special issue paper.”

“The _Prophet_ ran a special issue? Let me guess, for this ridiculous Transit spell?” Then a realisation hit her. This morning outside Harry’s place, she had lifted her shirt to check her runes and had been hit by the sun, except it was probably a reporter.

Colour bloomed on her cheeks and a stab of panic filled her. This is exactly what she hadn’t wanted. The glamoured runes were only supposed to lull Harry, Ginny and Ron into a false sense of security that she was OK.

And now, she felt like she had manipulated the two wizards here.

Judging from the looks around them, a fair few others had also read this special edition. She guessed most of the wizarding world would have by tonight and with the picture taken before, a salacious follow-up story would appear in the next morning’s edition.

“We should, um, probably go somewhere a little quieter,” she suggested. “Somewhere with less eyes and ears.” She looked at the two of them again, Theo seemed about as awkward as her, but Olly obviously found the scenario amusing.

“Should I have a conversation with both of you or arrange a time separately?”

“Maybe both?” Olly said. “Together to let us know what you’re wanting to do and separate if, well, it is needed?”

Theo nodded his assent.

“OK, do you mind terribly if we go to a Muggle place? I think it would be best.”

“Of course, Hermione,” Theo stated.

“That place a block away that does the scones?” Olly grinned.

“Ooh, yeah. Good idea,” she agreed. “I’ll get changed again and meet you there?”

They exchanged a glance. “We can wait for you,” Olly told her.

Hermione gave them a cautious side-eye. “Ok… if you’re sure.” She let them dither around outside the changing room as she quickly got back into her white blouse, leather jacket, jeans and black combat boots.

“Ready?” she said, and they fell into step beside her. The looks they received going down the hallway making Hermione furious with herself. She should have known the _Prophet_ would have been lying in wait to capture the reaction of herself, Ron and especially Harry to this ludicrous mess.

“How weird have both of your days been?” Hermione asked to break the ice.

“So super weird,” Olly said. “Amazing how people have become so nosy all of a sudden. It’s not true that some people are adding fake glamours to themselves, surely?”

Hermione kept her face very, very blank.

Theo gave a small growl, a gesture quite unlike him. “It is very much true. Draco has already come up with a charm to test real ones from fake. I can teach it to you if you like?”

“Seriously? Malfoy made one that quick?” Hermione scoffed, she’d thought it would take him at least a day.

“I know he’s mostly known for that godsawful nightclub of his, but he’s still pretty good with his wand. I’d say he probably even bribed someone to get hold of the spell scroll to determine the magic to create it in advance. But don’t get me wrong, he’s loving every witch throwing themselves at him. He uses it to ward off the scheming purebloods trying to invoke the courting traditions, the spell proves they have no connection or claim to his wealth,” Theo commented. “I’ve already had to use it more often than I’d like today.”

“Then, yeah, that sounds useful,” Olly replied.

Hermione had thought a lot about how this spell would affect her and other witches, but she was slightly appalled at the lack of empathy she had shown her male friends. They had no certainty unlike women did. They had to trust whoever approached them and try to protect themselves. She shivered and was very glad the roles were not reversed. It would have been horrific. And of course, Draco bloody Malfoy would be just as despicable about this as he had been with everything else in his life. She thought about the golden glowing runes and shuddered again.

“It’s just one counterclockwise circle then a flick with the words _Sapere aude_ ,” Theo demonstrated. She could hear Oliver scribble it down on a scrap piece of paper, they had fallen behind her a little in her haste to get out of the Ministry as fast as possible.

As she finally got outside and began heading for the cafe, she thought furiously, trying to come up with a solution that would keep her lie intact while simultaneously adhering to what the other two wanted.

She wasn’t sure how well Theo and Oliver knew each other, if at all, but they seemed to be getting along OK. That would help.

Hermione got to the cafe and practically fell into a booth at the back. She ordered scones and a pot of tea with three cups as she waited for the men to join her. She was glad they had slipped out a little-known side entrance for Aurors and bounty hunters to bring in criminals without parading them through the public areas, so no reporters had tailed them.

Theo and Oliver finally joined her, both sitting on the opposite side. She smiled at them, thankful that they were calm and acting rather civilly about the whole thing. They were quiet now and waiting for her.

The scones and tea arrived so she busied herself with pouring for them. “I’m not entirely sure how to start,” she admitted as she slid Oliver a milky tea with two sugars. “I guess, thanks for coming to find me so I didn’t have to make two trips.” She gave Theo his tea, black and according to him, unsullied by dairy products. Sugar, however, he deemed perfectly reasonable and she’d added four spoonfuls.

Olly was already tucking into a scone with clotted cream and jam and just waved as if to say it was OK.

Theo was much more particular, evenly spreading the condiments and actually eating his scone with a knife and fork. “You’re quite welcome, Hermione.”

Oliver swallowed. “So, what’s your plan? Ron’s with Dunbar so I guess he’s out?”

“He would have been out even if there was no Fay, that’s a time long past us,” Hermione replied. “I think I would rather put my plan in your hands, what is it you would be OK with regarding this… situation?”

“Your company would afford me protection,” Theo stated plainly. “If I was seen to be publicly with you, others would think twice before trying to trick me into giving them some of the family jewels.”

His wicked grin made Hermione laugh. He always seemed so prim and proper but there was an undercurrent of lasciviousness that lurked beneath the cool, aristocratic veneer.

Olly just grinned in that easy, charming way of his. “I just want to date you, I don’t care if it’s public or not.”

“Why didn’t you ask me out?” she queried.

“You seem like a very ‘must be exclusive’ kind of woman, Granger. To be honest, that’s not something I’m looking for,” he reached for another scone. “Hope that’s OK.”

She shrugged at him. “I appreciate your candour.”

“Is it something you’d consider?” Olly pushed.

“We could have been having fun months ago if you’d just asked,” Hermione told him. Olly smiled again and Theo stilled a little in shock.

She folded her hands in front of her and leaned on the table. “How about this, I go public with Theo and date you, Olly, in private? That seems to work best for all of us.”

“You misunderstood my full intentions, Miss Granger,” Theo spoke again, eyes sparkling. “Now that Oliver has had you admit you would be amenable to a less formal romantic arrangement, could I avail myself to that option as well? We will need to sell our relationship for a long time, potentially eight years. It would be best to have at least some affection between us.”

She glanced at Olly, questioningly. “Go for it, if you’re seeing him as well, I won’t feel reserved being with others.”

“As will I,” Theo added.

Hermione shrugged again. “OK,” she said with more nonchalance than she felt. Her heart was beating fast. Wow, this couldn’t have worked out better. It was too hard to have a boyfriend when being a bounty hunter required her to go away so often. “However, I will add a stipulation that if you are approached by someone else who has legitimate runes naming you, please consider helping them out as well. And if you ever want to leave our arrangement, you have Options 1, 2 or 3.”

“And what are those?” Theo raised an eyebrow at her.

“Option 1: We immediately cut all contact and don’t see or speak to each other. Option 2: We stop dating but remain friends. Option 3: We have one last time together before we end it. Sound fair?” They looked shocked again. “This isn’t the first time I’ve done this and the fact neither of you knew should be a testament to my discretion so I would appreciate yours as well.”

“I’m happy with that,” Olly looked like he thought this Transit spell was really rather brilliant.

“I’ll need you tonight, though, Hermione,” Theo told her. “I want to stop the parade of nonsense as soon as possible.”

“My only condition is that I will _never_ go to that scandal factory Malfoy calls a club, OK?” Hermione waved her hand in a cutting motion to emphasise her point.

“That’s fine with me,” Theo said, his gaze held hers and there was a frisson of desire there. She wondered how long he’d wanted to progress their relationship and what had stopped him before, she’d certainly tried hard enough.

“Glad we got this sorted, I better head off now, then,” Olly stood up, finishing his cup of tea. “I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon, Granger.” He winked and left. He hadn’t even given her a choice. Hermione found it surprisingly hot.

Hermione leaned towards Theo, her leather jacket squeaking on the Formica table.

“These scones are good,” he said, a little distracted before adding, “Tonight’s engagement is a Sacred Twenty-Eight event to mark the beginning of the Transit, I am expected there and having you will be like a shield sparing me from the fawning of too many heedless pureblood debutantes. Will that be alright?”

Hermione made a face, she didn’t exactly like aristocratic parties, but she liked Theo and was intrigued to see how this played out. “So red carpet fabulous then?”

“I know you won’t disappoint,” he replied, folding himself out of the booth before easing her hand out from where she had crossed them and kissed it. Then he also left.

Hermione played with stray particles of sugar on the table thinking about what had transpired. It was good for her, very good for her in fact. They seemed to be happy with the arrangement as well. And she had also made sure anyone who really was a soulmate would still be able to approach them. Hopefully. Theo made her sound like a terrifying prospect to get around.

Ginny was going to go wild when she told her.

* * *

Draco was pouring Blaise a whisky in his club while they read through the afternoon’s special issue of the _Prophet_. The newspaper was really going all out with the coverage. There was a scandalous article from someone clearly stationed outside his place who had taken photos of three witches leaving looking a bit less presentable than when they had arrived. He loved this Transit of Venus spell. Of course, he was only using his _Sapere aude_ after they had consummated their supposed soulmateship and they tried to push for more.

Blaise had divulged an equally productive day, smirking at Draco as he sipped the amber liquid.

“Your dalliance with Weaselette in school appears to have left its mark, Blaise,” Draco chuckled darkly. Looking at an enlarged photo of Ginny’s runes taken during her Quidditch practice today.

“The girl certainly has stamina, imagine getting her alone with Bones or Chang… Ugh, wasted opportunities, man.” Blaise lamented.

“You are both disgusting,” another voice joined them.

Draco and Blaise both set down their drinks giving Theo slow, proud claps as he joined them at the bar. Theo just shook his head, unamused.

“The luckiest man in wizarding Britain,” Blaise said, toasting to his friend. Draco poured him a sloppy drink, spilling the whisky over the glass and clinked it.

‘Seriously, Theo,” Blaise said, riffling through the paper until he came to the full-length article about Hermione Granger meeting with her two soulmates. “I mean the woman was hot before but, shit, that extension! I mean, fuck... being flexible as well? That’s just not fair.”

“Hang on, Blaise,” Draco countered, tapping his index finger against his mate’s chest. “We don’t know who she chose yet. Could be the unluckiest son a bitch is sitting here with us.”

“She will be accompanying me tonight to the Venus Ball,” he told them, the pretence of apathy so thick it may as well have had an arrow screaming ‘FAKE!’. He was way more excited than he let on.

Draco set his drink down. “Hey, Theo,” he said to get the man’s attention, before entering his mind, whirring through his interaction with Granger today before he released him.

“Ugh, Drake you’re a fucking arsehole you know.” Theo said, shaking his head as if trying to get the remnants of Draco’s presence out of it.

Draco was staring at him with dark ice in his eyes. “You’ve always been a rubbish Occlumens, Nott. And you never would have told us everything. But I just had to know.” Draco picked up his drink again and slugged it back pouring a new one.

“And?” Blaise eagerly prodded.

Theo sighed as Draco broke into a malicious grin. “She will have both.”

“Both?!” Blaise spluttered, choking on his drink.

“Oh yes, a public arrangement with our friend here and a private one with Wood. How utterly fascinating,” Draco wondered aloud.

“Threw the both of us, Wood and me I mean,” Theo said, knocking back the whisky Draco had offered.

“And the look on her when she gave you those options, _fuck_ ,” Draco shook his head.

“What’s he talking about?” Blaise asked.

Theo sighed again knowing Draco would tell him anyway. “She was incredibly cavalier about dating both of us, and allowing us to see other people, too. But she was equally as cavalier about ending it. We can either ghost her, become her friend or have one last time with her before dissolving the agreement.”

“Salazar’s overheated ballsack,” Blaise exclaimed, his mouth open. “She really said that?”

“Also claimed it wasn’t her first time making such an arrangement,” Draco said with a significant look to Blaise.

“Fuuuuuuuck. You are not worthy, Theo. A gorgeous witch you could bend into a pretzel who will also let you get away scot free whenever you decide you want to? That’s the fucking dream!” Blaise gently shook his head in amazement like Theo had somehow orchestrated this.

“I don’t intend on initiating any of those options. Not for a long, long time. She’s far too useful, as well as her many other fine attributes, of course,” Theo gave Blaise a look like he wasn’t seeing all the potential there. He poured himself another drink. “Unlike the two of you, I am loathe to deal with the strings of women that will be after my lands, vaults and want to ruin my silk sheets.”

Blaise gaped at Draco. “Can you believe this? Granger’s even given him permission to indulge however he sees fit and he’s still going to tether himself.”

Theo laughed grimly. “Hardly, though there is very little to compare to Hermione. However, she will prove an excellent test. Whosoever is tenacious enough to bypass Granger may be worth investing my time.”

“You arrogant fucking prick,” Draco told him, laughing.

“Oh, you have to bring her here,” Blaise basically pleaded but Theo just grinned wider.

“Can’t do that, her one stipulation, her one measly request was to ask to never come here to this quote, ‘scandal factory’.”

Draco snapped his fingers, “Yes, that’s what she said. Scandal Factory is an excellent name for a cocktail. I’m going to write it down for Marco.”

“Wow, she still really hates you,” Blaise said to Draco.

“Well, I am rather distinctly terrible,” he replied as he wrote cocktail instructions for his employee.

“That is even more true today than usual,” Theo said, finishing his drink and standing. “Now that I have answered your near ten thousand summons, I will leave to get ready for my date tonight. Goodbye,” he waved a hand at them as he left.

Blaise had picked up the newspaper again. Eyeing Draco as he noted down the cocktail recipe, warily checking on his friend. The photo version of Granger was stretching her arms above her head elongating her toned and lean form. “Luckiest man in all of wizarding Britain,” Blaise repeated.

“Hear, hear,” came Draco’s sarcastic reply.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have been working on this fic for a while after reading a bunch of other soul magic works. The fic is almost complete with just finishing touches needed on the last six chapters.
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	2. New Precedents

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The wizarding world is introduced to Theo and Hermione as a couple. Unfortunately, this means Hermione also has to deal with Draco. But then he also has to deal with her.

**Chapter Two: New Precedents**

“Please come tonight, Gin?” Hermione pleaded but her friend was resolute.

“Hermione those parties are vile. Fleur makes Bill go sometimes but I haaaaate them. And I thought you did, too,” Ginny said with a grin.

“Oh, I undoubtedly will, but it’s part of my deal with Theo. That’s why you’re here helping me pick what to wear.”

“I already told you, this one,” Ginny patted some green silk robes with a daring low back that chased over her curves like sunlight on water.

“The colour is too obvious, but maybe I could Sleeping Beauty it,” Hermione muttered. “Gin, how fancy are these things?”

“The fanciest,” Ginny flourished her hands. “This one will be even more so because it is the first of its kind, they will go glitzier than usual.”

“Alright, it won’t be too much, then,” Hermione began enchanting the dress so it chased blue and pink in smooth languorous motions.

“It looks like the colours are having sex,” Ginny laughed.

“Perfect,” Hermione picked up an untamed curl. “Can I get your help with my hair, you know I’m rubbish at it. I just use that spray you gave me.”

“Sure,” Ginny scrambled off Hermione’s bed and started working with her wand on her friend’s hair. The witch couldn’t stop smiling.

“You were really that worried that you wouldn’t be soulmates with Harry?” Hermione asked her.

Her friend shrugged. “Kind of, it’s more like feeling that the decisions you made to get to where you are were right. It feels incredibly satisfying knowing you can trust yourself,” she sighed happily.

Hermione thought about Hestia Carrow and how that wasn’t true for her anymore. Though the witch would be glad she kept her name. Then she thought about those gold runes. But she trusted herself implicitly, it was the runes she was suspicious of.

“What about jewellery, ‘Mione?”

“I’m not going to wear any and probably never will. I don’t want people thinking I chose Theo because he’s rich.”

Ginny nodded. “I think your silver strappy shoes to accent the dress now that it’s blue and pink.”

“Good idea.” Hermione floated a mirror up and cast a spell to do her makeup. A dewy, glowing look with a hint of blush and pink lipstick to compliment the dress.

Half an hour later, Hermione was dressed in the robes, silver shoes on, and Ginny had tamed her hair to fall in a waterfall around her shoulders and down her open back. Her friend had just cracked open a bottle of wine when Hermione’s door rang. She went to open it while Ginny poured them a glass each.

Theo was there. She held out an arm, extending her fingers when it was directly in front of him. She had written a note there. _Reporter across the street_. He took her hand and she gave him a look bound with meaning. An excited thrill ran through her when he immediately understood what she meant. She was giving him an opportunity to stage their first properly public photos together how he wanted.

He ascended the final step and turned her into the doorframe, twining his fingers with hers to rest by her hip. He brought his other hand up to cup her jaw gently and ran a thumb over her cheek. He held her there for a beat and looking into his green eyes she saw passion waiting to be released. It sent a tremble of anticipation through her. His eyes then flicked towards the interior of her house and she led him in shutting the door.

“Miss Granger,” he greeted her. She slowly brought their still entwined hands up to his chest and gently pushed him against the door. She stepped in so her body touched along his and while holding his gaze, closed in for a kiss, bringing his bottom lip between her own. That desire in his eyes spilled out a little and burned brighter as he kissed her back, his other hand snaking along her waist and pulling her even closer.

“Oh, yes, Theodore Nott, we are going to have a lot of fun,” Hermione breathed across him and she was delighted to see his neck hair stand on end like a shiver had just run down him.

“Hermione!” came Ginny’s sing-song voice. “I heard the door close which means you are most likely tormenting that poor man. Let him up here for a drink before he ruins his suit.”

Hermione pulled back a touch allowing Theo to take a deep breath. “Oh, by the way, Ginny’s here.”

“That can only be a good thing. If she wasn’t, with you looking like that, I don’t think I would have the self-control to make it to a party.”

“Do you regret coming to find me?” she asked, leading him up the stairs, hands still linked.

“I only regret not doing this sooner,” he placed a kiss on the underside of her forearm where it was extended in front of him which raced deliciously along the rest of Hermione.

“That’s my favourite game,” Ginny said, handing Hermione her glass and holding the bottle of wine and some whisky up at Theo and he nodded at the latter. “Honestly, Hermione could send out every signal in the book waiting for some semblance of reciprocity but thinking the ‘Golden Girl’ is into them is too intimidating and once she moves her attentions elsewhere, I swoop in and say, ‘Shame, ‘Mione really liked you,’ and then they get all sad with puppy dog eyes lamenting their lost opportunity…” she took a sip, eyes glassy in a manic sort of reverie. “It’s heavenly.”

Hermione laughed, sitting at the dining room table as Ginny curled up opposite her and handed Theo his whisky.

The wizard eyed the red-haired witch with suspicion. “Are you two sure you’re not Slytherin?”

Ginny tapped her bent knee. “Don’t need to be a snake to be a snake charmer,” she grinned, too many teeth showing.

“What have I gotten myself into?” Theo mused, smiling while looking between the two witches.

“Trouble,” they said together.

“That’s why I give you the three options,” Hermione told him. “So you can run anytime, I never begrudge any of them.”

“Oh no, I want to see how this plays out.” Theo smirked at her. “Also, it is very nice having my friends be disturbingly jealous of me. I intend to keep them that way as long as I can.”

“Who would these friends of yours be?” Ginny asked innocently.

“Blaise and Draco, of course.” Theo replied, taking another sip. “Blaise was reminiscing this afternoon after seeing his name on you in the _Prophet_.”

“So he should be, the things we did were positively depraved,” Ginny leant forward in a conspiratorial whisper. “You should ask him if he’s ever convinced anyone to do No. 17 since.”

Hermione cackled at how shocked Theo looked. “Careful, Gin. You’re going to kill Theo and I still need him.”

Ginny fell back and shrugged. “Fine, we’ll plan his funeral some other time. Shouldn’t you both get going? That dress deserves to be photographed.”

“Shall we?” Hermione queried.

“You know where this Ball is, correct?”

“Yes, Malfoy Manor. Ginny still gets the invites being part of your strange ancestor’s club,” Hermione replied. She flicked her eyes to Ginny who was watching them like it was a soap opera.

“So you know he’ll be there tonight, right? You said you wanted to stay away from his club, but he can’t really be avoided at things like this. Are you going to be OK?”

Ginny snorted.

“I think you misunderstand, Theo. I’m not afraid of Malfoy or his family. I dislike him, yes. A lot. But it’s worse than that. It’s just he’s so very boring, creating such a cliché lifestyle for himself when he really did have potential. At least disliking someone is fraught with emotion and has twists and turns you have to wend your way through. Draco, however, is so benignly predictable. It’s dreadfully dull.”

Hermione threw the Floo Powder into her grate while Theo blinked, surprised again.

Behind her, Ginny laughed. “Good luck with her, Theo. You’re going to need it.”

* * *

Draco had arrived early on his parents’ insistence and luckily Blaise had managed to convince Pansy to bring him along this evening.

They had joined him at a table near the media area watching as the guests filed in. About half the party had arrived by now, but not the couple they were all waiting for. Usually the first half hour of these things was near empty, but tonight it was filling up fast. People wanted to be here when Hermione Granger and Theodore Nott arrived. Some were ready to justify their sense of inferiority to the darling of Wizarding Britain by making snide comments, acid-tongues ready to poison her presence here. Others were wiping clammy hands on robes wanting to grouse and vie for her attention. Needing her to endorse this or that, tearing her apart.

“So it’s real? Granger and Nott?” Pansy asked, looking at the eager crowd.

“Oh, yes, absolutely. We saw him earlier today,” Blaise informed her.

“Ooh, and what’d he say?” Pansy giggled, perking up for gossip. Eyes dancing at Draco.

“He accepted our congratulations and seemed quite pleased with his arrangement,” he answered her.

“I’ll bet he is,” Pansy laughed, taking a flute of champagne from a roaming tray. “This will raise his family to heights it may not have previously known. Every wizard and their dog will want to do business with him when the Golden Girl is on his arm. And then she’ll become Minister for Magic and usher in whatever she wants to usher in and the Nott family will have completely upended their reputation in the span of a generation.”

She took a large swig, turning to Draco. “If you even had a whiff of ambition, you would have tried to seduce her years ago.”

Draco rolled his eyes. “Please, we do quite well without Hermione bloody Granger.”

“I really don’t know where all your plans vanished to, Draco. You used to be full of them, determined to outperform your father in every area of your life. And now, you just chase women and good booze in that club of yours,” Pansy held his gaze knowingly.

“Trying is so hard. I like my life easy,” Draco cut her with a glare but she wasn’t paying attention.

The photographers had started going wild calling “Hermione, over here!” and “Theo, turn this way!”

The couple were walking forward slowly, waving elegantly and turning close to whisper to each other.

“Oh, wow,” Blaise said. “Luckiest goddamn man in the country.”

Draco’s hand had stilled as he’d gone to take a drink. Granger was luminous, smiling sweetly at the cameras. Her dress was swirling with eddying blue and pink. Everywhere that Theo touched, the pink drifted to meet him as if drawn to his person, shying away again sadly when he moved. They seemed at ease with each other, trading remarks that made the other smile or laugh.

Draco had forgotten that of course the Golden Trio had all been given media training after the war as the Ministry pimped them out for various events and Hermione clearly remembered how to work the press. She had masterfully glamoured her other runes so now only the ones for Theodore Nott showed through mesh siding. Her ears, neck and wrists all uninterrupted by jewellery as she tucked her hair behind an ear and slowly, almost bashfully, drew her gaze up to Theo.

The press were calling for pictures of Hermione on her own so Nott leaned in and kissed her cheek, pretending to take her by surprise but the press lapped it up. He pulled away smiling and walked away towards them. Hermione had looked after him, raising sweetly curled hands to her face affecting cute happiness before turning back to the cameras to pose.

Theo had reached them by that time, having been accosted by a few people on his way, his cool unaffected demeanour back as he picked up a whisky from a tray.

“Good evening,” he said, sitting beside Blaise, opposite Draco.

“Quite the show, Theo,” Pansy commented, still watching Granger. “Scary how good you look together.”

“She’s terrifying enough on her own. Though I think being teased by her and Miss Ginevra earlier this evening was the most horrified I have been in a long while.”

Blaise’s head jerked away from his appraisal of Hermione. “You saw Gin tonight?”

“She was at Hermione’s place, I told her you sent your regards,” Theo’s eyes twinkled over his whisky glass and Blaise blanched.

“What? What did she say?” he demanded.

“She mentioned how particularly intense your affair with her was. She asked if anyone other than her had been able to stomach No. 17?” Theo was rewarded with Blaise inhaling his drink and needing several hard pats on the back from Pansy to right himself.

“You’ve done a very good job distracting us from asking questions about you and Granger,” Draco drawled at him while Blaise nodded vigorously, still spluttering occasionally.

“Hermione had a lot to say about you as well, if you care to hear it?” Theo intimated.

“I would not,” Draco replied drolly.

“But I would,” Pansy quipped, turning to look at Theo with a mischievous grin, face resting in her palm.

“Yeah, how much does she hate him?” Blaise rasped.

“Oh she says it’s worse than hate,” Theo smirked, barely able to contain his amusement. “No, she finds you something far more deplorable than hateful. I think her words were, what? Oh yes, ‘dreadfully dull’. She believes you utterly predictable and no longer any challenge, Draco. I have to admit, it was rather arousing hearing her so artfully dismiss you.” Draco just scoffed and drank the rest of his whisky in one while Pansy cackled madly, clapping her hands together.

Theo had drifted his gaze back to Hermione as she slowly made her way off the red-carpet with a couple more waves and smiles for the cameras but she barely got five steps into the party proper before she was swarmed by onlookers. Her gracious smiles, warm handshakes and kisses on the cheek left a wake of admirers who were clearly enamoured by her.

Draco could tell that Theo was more affected by her than he wanted to admit, unable to take his eyes off her with a quiet, restrained hunger.

He flicked back to Granger and she effortlessly turned as a drink server went past. She took a whisky and poured it into champagne flute before downing the entire thing and putting it back on the tray, all in one fluid motion before turning back to the group that she was chatting with like nothing had happened.

“I think that’s your cue,” Draco said, but Theo was already moving to her. Draco watched as the pink in her dress wafted up from the bottom to reach tantalisingly towards Theo’s hand on her waist.

Pansy poked Draco in his arm and he pulled his gaze to her. “I know this look, you want her. Like, you want to pursue her, you want to put in _effort_. Don’t you hate her?”

“There is no man in this room that doesn’t want her,” Blaise countered before Draco could speak.

“Oh no, I get it,” Pansy laughed, raising her hands. “Even I kind of want her. Oh wow, your parents are plotting to speak with her too, look-”

Draco looked over to where his parents were surreptitiously looking over at her and speaking to each other in low voices. They had their business faces on.

“Uh oh, the golden couple are heading over, Theo managed to extricate her,” Blaise warned. Hermione was still smiling and acknowledging people with nods and waves. Theo managed to seat her where her back was to most of the party.

She shifted her hair forward and massaged her cheeks. “Fucking hell, how do you people _do_ this? Ow!”

A server came over with a full tray of drinks. Hermione swept her hair back and sent the waiter a dazzling smile. “Hi, sorry, I’m sure this is terribly unorthodox, but would you mind leaving the entire tray?”

“Miss?”

“Oh, sorry, how rude of me. I’m Hermione Granger,” and she proffered her hand.

“N-No, I know who you are Miss Granger,” the server was flustered.

“And I’m sure you also know it’s a little rude to leave a handshake hanging, but it must be difficult while holding that tray, so please place it down so we can greet each other properly?” her voice was sweet but her eyes glittered like ice. The poor server placed the tray carefully on the table and shook her hand.

Hermione’s face shifted in a sudden real smile and the table watched the server melt a little bit, her eyes flicked quickly to his nametag. “It was so lovely to meet you, Devin. Thank you for the tray,” she waved as the server backed away and hurried to the kitchen.

She turned back into the table and took a glass, all of them looking at her incredulously and then she looked to Theo, pausing before taking a sip. He was smiling at her with a gaze full of raunchy promises. “Ye gods, woman. Marry me,” he said, curling her hair behind her ear.

“Only a couple hours into our first date and you want to marry me already? Steady on or when we have sex you’ll crawl inside and never leave.” She took a large sip of champagne.

“Ooh, I _like_ you!” Pansy giggled, helping herself to a drink.

Theo was chuckling into her shoulder while Blaise and Draco recovered from her comment.

“You realise you just undid centuries of etiquette with that? It may not seem like much, but these events are incredibly particular and the trays are never to be set down when they are being circulated. Ever,” Theo informed her.

“Oh. Oops.” She pointed towards where the server retreated. “Is he going to be OK?”

“Nope, he’s definitely getting fired,” Blaise told her.

“Shit, I’d better go deal with that,” she got up heading to the kitchens.

Pansy let out a wild laugh. “This is brilliant. She’s going to hurricane your life, Theo.”

Theo grinned at her, “Yeah, I can’t wait.”

“You lucky, lucky bastard,” Blaise shook his head.

Draco waited until Theo was talking to Prewett Senior about some sort of business venture before heading to the kitchens to find Granger. Some strange compulsion almost forcing him to seek her out.

He found her leaning against a railing by the open back door, talking to the server who sat on a step.

“It’s OK Devin, not everyone learns through books, some learn by doing. Like Harry Potter for one. I could offer you a position working underneath me, you’d learn a lot, I tend to bounce around from project to project and I could use an assistant. It would be hard work though, I don’t employ slackers.”

“Really, Miss?” the server’s eyes were bright as he looked up at her but then he noticed Draco. Hermione turned to look as well and her smile faltered.

“Go home now Devin, I’ll owl you tomorrow,” she dismissed the boy, holding Draco’s gaze.

“Oh OK, Miss. Thank you so much,” and Devin hurried away from Draco’s glowering.

“Have I breached your precious etiquette again?” Hermione asked with a tone of defiance.

“Yes, you have and I see you are badgering yet another person with your bossy, know-it-all ways,” he waited for a reaction but none seemed forthcoming. His eyes narrowed, “Theo told me what you think of me you know, so I’m entirely beneath contempt now? Is that it?” he was spitting the words out. The witch always brought this on.

“And you’re going to have precious Devin work _underneath_ you? How many will that be now you also have Theo and Wood? I would never have thought your golden gilt hid corrupted flesh.” Still no reaction. He let out an indignant breath, “Whatever Granger. You get to do whatever you want, don’t you? You always have.”

“Are you quite finished?” she deadpanned.

Draco just rolled his eyes at her. She walked up to him standing just outside the doorway where he had stayed inside. She reached two fingertips down her dress between her breasts and his eyes couldn’t help but flicker where they dipped into. Then she brought out a small piece of folded parchment and tucked it into his hand where his arms were crossed over his chest. And then she re-entered the kitchen, stopping right as she slid by him.

“You really could at least _try_ ,” she said with pity before making her way back to the party.

Opening the note, it read:

_Draco Malfoy Cheat Sheet For When  
He Inevitably Terrorises Me  
1\. Soft insult  
2\. ~*a n g r y Draco*~  
3\. “Devastating” insult, most likely  
aimed at my reputation and/or looks  
4\. Scornful outro_

She had his number, all four of them. He leaned against the doorframe and chuckled down at the piece of paper, acerbating jealousy surging through him. Theo really was a fortuitous shit.

* * *

Hermione made her way back to Theo, feeling bad when she saw a leggy blonde putting the moves on him, touching his arm and leaning into him seductively. She approached and the witch looked at her before quickly taking a step back. Hermione reached them with a friendly smile.

“Sorry about that, Theo.” He appeared relieved to see her. “Good evening, I’m Hermione Granger,” she turned her attention to the woman.

“Em- Emma Fawley,” the woman stuttered.

“I feel like I know that name from somewhere,” Hermione replied, tilting her head to look at the witch.

“D-Do you read _Witch Weekly_? I’m a freelance journalist but I write their cookery section,” Emma stuttered, confidence gone now that Hermione had arrived.

“Of course, your articles are the only parts I actually enjoy since the rest is such gossipy drivel. No offence,” but Emma was nodding in agreement. “That Exploding Brandy Snap Parfait you wrote about two weeks ago? Oh, so delicious! I made it for dinner at the Burrow and everyone loved it!”

Emma was beaming from ear to ear. “I have a variation of the method for cheesecake instead if you would like the recipe?” she asked.

“Oh yes, please owl me that. I’ll make it for Theo, sometime” she nestled into him a little more.

“May I quote you on that, Miss Granger?” Emma asked, giddily.

Hermione nodded her assent and the woman practically skipped away.

“Wonderfully done, Hermione,” Theo said. He drew her to the dancefloor, bringing her close to him so his words would ghost over her ear. “I thought you might be a little bit of a disaster here, but clearly I was mistaken.”

“Despite my heinous tray transgression?” Hermione asked sarcastically, her laugh reverberating through him and attracting others to the dancefloor as well.

“Every party needs a little scandal, you just made this one historic,” Theo said. The amusement in his voice chasing desire through her.

“Are we allowed to make out at these parties?” she raised her head with a devilish grin.

“That may be a little too much scandal but-” he couldn’t finish as she reached up to close the distance between them. Keeping it passionate but chaste before she drew back.

“I can’t have Rita Skeeter be wrong about my lack of proprietary now, could I?” she coyly brushed the nape of his neck with her fingers. His hands tightened at her waist and she gave a dark giggle as she heard whispers envelop them.

“Shall we go back to the table and become perfectly poised again?” her face wide in an amused expression. “I’ll even sit away from you.”

“The kidnapped tray will make a mockery of our decorum, but we could give it a go. I fear if I have you in my arms any longer I’ll do something that will get us kicked out entirely.” Theo glittered at her with a mischievous grin.

She led him back and resettled herself in Draco’s old seat beside Pansy while Theo took the one across from her.

“How is it that we have never been friends, before this, Granger?” Pansy asked her as she handed her a champagne flute from the tray. “I haven’t been as entertained at one of these things in such a long time.”

“I used to have to go to Ministry run events like this just after the war,” Hermione replied, looking around. “We would try to leave as early as possible and go back to our house and become raucously uncouth to make up for how uptight we found the parties.”

“Ooh, please tell me you have some heinously embarrassing stories?” Pansy giggled, leaning in excitedly.

“Well, one time-” but she was halted by three looming figures approaching them. She stood to receive their presence.

Draco glared at Hermione but she just blinked innocently at him. “Mother, Father, may I please introduce Miss Hermione Granger.” As if they were meeting her for the very first time. Hermione fought an eye roll.

“How do you do, Miss Granger?” Draco’s father said, stiffly formal, extending a hand.

“I am very well, Lord Malfoy and may I please congratulate both of you for hosting such a magnificent event tonight,” she gave a polite smile with the handshake and Lady Malfoy embraced her with two cheek kisses.

“Thank you dear, for the compliment. We were rather hoping to speak with you this evening about an upcoming opportunity, if we may?” Draco’s mother smoothly transitioned the conversation.

“Of course,” Hermione replied. “I’d be more than willing to hear about it if you would take a seat,” she gestured to the table as she sat back down.

The air seemed to still, as many eyes watched this, pretending not to. It was a subtle challenge. If Lord and Lady Malfoy sat, they would be subtly indicating that the breach of etiquette committed by Hermione was acceptable or they could reject the offer and most likely her positive response to their request.”

Narcissa looked inquiringly at Lucius, but he seemed to calculate that an amenable relationship with Hermione Granger was worth it and sat in the seat to her right, his wife following suit.

A susurrus rippled through the room. A new precedent set.

“What is the proposal you have for me?” Hermione asked with a gracious smile.

“We would ask if you may be interested in being the spokesperson for a series of benefits we will be commencing in the next month. The aim is to aid the Ministry in the restoration of certain antiquities. We have experts ready to ensure the safety of the items and to identify the extent of their magical properties. One such as yourself who has extolled the virtue of preserving history would be a wonderful ally to our cause.” Lucius waited for her response with his cold, gray eyes.

Hermione tapped her mouth with a finger. So the Malfoys were campaigning to reclaim items that were seized from them after the war under the guise of research. That could be dangerous, but she also knew that the Ministry would be wary enough of trusting them to effect contingencies. She quickly looked to Theo but he was just watching her avidly, waiting to see what she would decide.

“I would assume, of course, that a bi-annual inspection from an independent Ministry official would ensure the exacting standards of your expert team were being met across the board?” Hermione queried. _Will you be willing for the Ministry to continue to keep tabs on these items, Lucius?_

He bristled a little but answered easily. “Of course, that had already been factored in.” Hermione could tell it had not.

She gave her gracious smile again. “Then I would be delighted to speak on its behalf. What a fascinating project to have a vested interest in.” The implication that she wouldn’t just be a figurehead settling onto Lucius and Narcissa and they stiffened _just_ a little.

She shook Lucius’ hand again to finalise the deal and a small pass of magic ignited, locking it in.

They nodded to her and left. The party suddenly became much louder than it had been.

“Oh. My. Gods.” Pansy stated, clapping her hands in glee. “It’s like you were born for this Granger.”

Hermione made a face. “How insulting, you should write that one down, Malfoy.”

Theo turned to look at Draco who was sitting next to him now. “What does that mean?”

Draco just took a drink with a dark look at Hermione. “Granger here thinks I could up the ante when slandering her. She wrote me a note and everything,” he tossed the parchment on the table which Pansy snatched up, falling into peals of laughter before passing it to Blaise.

“Now that’s the Hermione Granger I knew in school. Perfectly prepared in every way,” the witch giggled.

“I was never perfectly prepared, I couldn’t prevent Harry going to his death. And I could have done a better job at disguising him when we were Snatched. In fact, that was the last time you surprised me, Malfoy. Refusing to identify Harry when it was clearly him. You saved us.”

Draco gave her a stunned look before sneering and saying, “I let you get tortured, in the room just through that wall,” he pointed across from them.

Hermione shrugged. “Better me than him, Harry was too important. I would have gladly died if it meant Harry and Ron could escape.”

There was a pause at the table before Draco spoke again. “The sword… it was the real one, wasn’t it? You lied during the _Crucio_. How did you do that?”

For the first time in the conversation Hermione looked uncomfortable. “I love Harry very much, I used that to conquer my fear. I’m sure you had to make that choice everyday with Vol- him living here,” she looked around the room. “Harry felt like the only family I had left, I’d _Obliviated_ my parents and sent them away in case they were captured and used against me. I would have done anything to keep Harry safe.”

“Have they recovered?” Pansy asked her, looking at Hermione with fascination for her being so candid.

Hermione sighed. “No, it was very difficult to cast, only erasing their memories of me but leaving everything else intact while also implanting the idea that they were different people and wanted to move to Australia. I have Healers working on it, but at the moment, they would have to rebuild the memories one by one. It’s a painstaking process and takes a very long time. I’m still thinking about whether I should put my parents through that. They have lives there now and have no idea about the wizarding world. I go see them every year. They think I’m a long-lost relation so we have new memories but it’s, you know, hard.”

A morose silence occupied the table now with no one quite knowing what to say. Then Hermione brightened. “Malfoy, well done! I feel sad, vulnerable and a little embarrassed but I’m not woefully bored.” She laughed garnering bewildered looks from the other four. She reached across the table to Theo who grasped her gently. “Let’s start our goodbye rounds, Theo. Knowing this crowd it will be another hour or so before we can successfully escape.”

They lifted their hands over Blaise and Pansy and walked off into the throng.

“I think I just fell in love with her,” Pansy played with a lock of hair, looking between Blaise and Draco’s oddly blank faces. “Right? Like, just a little? Merlin knows no one else here would be that earnest.”

Draco just cleared his throat and took a drink while Blaise nodded in agreement. They knew Pansy wasn’t serious, but the effect Hermione had on people had permeated the room with a strange enchantment.

“What goddess of serendipity has Theo been fucking to be so blessed?” Blaise grumbled while the other two shrugged and shook their heads.

* * *

It had taken Hermione and Theo an hour and a half to escape from the party. They arrived back at Hermione’s place and had poured themselves another drink, settling on her couch to talk about how the evening had gone.

“Shall we discuss finances?” Theo asked her, bringing her feet off the floor and slowly untying her strappy silver heels.

“Hm? What do you mean?” Hermione replied, a curious tilt to her head.

“I mean I have already been offered many lucrative opportunities simply from my association with you, Hermione. Ones from family-friendly companies that would otherwise never be offered to someone with an ancestral history as dark as mine. As I realise this would have been impossible without you, we should arrange compensation.”

Hermione just waved the suggestion away. “Those opportunities will only be maintained by your business acumen which I have no head for. No, I would rather we kept our transactions physical and emotional and our finances utterly separate. I am not with you for gold, and it will be easier when you decide to stop seeing me.”

“What if I don’t ever decide that?” Theo had eased her other foot out of her shoes and had begun massaging her heel. He watched Hermione as she lay her head back against the arm of the couch, revelling in his touch. “What if you take me up on my offer to get married?”

“Then we’d better invest in Weasley’s Wizarding Wheezes since we both know that was a joke,” she uttered breathily, eyes fluttering and toes curling under his skilled hands.

“It may be right now, it might not be later,” Theo teased.

Hermione opened her eyes to stare at the ceiling. She knew she wouldn’t marry him, she wouldn’t leave him a widower in eight years’ time. Seeing Malfoy tonight had served as verifiable evidence that he would be unmistakably cruel to her whenever he could. She wondered how the gold runes on her body could possibly have spelled out Draco Malfoy. But they definitely did, she’d checked every textbook translation she could find just in case. Maybe this soulmates business was designed for sexual compatibility or strength of potential offspring.

She refused to be with someone who made her skin crawl even if she’d managed to hide it tonight.

“I like Pansy. She’s fun,” Hermione said to change the subject.

Theo chuckled. “Well, I’m glad you would be OK hanging out with at least one of my friends.”

“I like Blaise, too. We hung out a bit in Eighth Year when he and Ginny had their thing.”

“So, just not Draco then?” Theo queried and Hermione nodded. “Why is that?”

“What I said was true about him being boring, but pretty much every interaction I’ve ever had with him has been violent or abusive in some way. That just gets ingrained into you when you experience years of it. We were never very nice to him either. He kind of represents my worst self,” she sighed blissfully. “That feels amazing though.” She nodded at where Theo was plying his fingers against the arch of her foot.

Theo gave her a cheeky grin and drew her foot closer to him, pulling her down the couch so her head rested on the seat, delighting in the way she squealed. He planted a kiss in the hollow behind her ankle bone and Hermione swallowed, an erotic fluttering starting within her.

Theo gently tugged her closer to him using her leg, watching as her dress crept incrementally up her thigh before taking both her hands which were laying on her stomach and slowly pulling her upright, hooking her fingers over his head to rest around his neck.

They looked at each for a beat, the flirtations of the evening heavy between them before Theo leaned in to kiss her. This kiss was deeper than any they had previously shared and Hermione felt a rush of adrenaline as she tangled with his skillful tongue. She let herself fold into his embrace, enjoying the feel of his increased heart rate beneath her fingers.

Theo pulled back from where their lips met. “Do you want to take this further?”

“Oh gods, yes,” she breathed before he captured her again. She began pulling off his robes and slowly unbuttoned his shirt to languorously run her hands over his chest, broad shoulders and back. He felt supple with toned and not overly defined muscle, smooth except for a sprinkling of dark chest hair.

He undid the clasp of the halter dress and let it fall to expose her breasts, dipping his gaze and sucking in a breath at the sight. She felt him tighten beneath her, his desire becoming very apparent.

She tilted her head back as his hands stroked across her hardened nipples and she waved a wordless charm to settle on them in preparation for later.

“How do you like to do this?” she asked him, looking into his eyes and finding a burst of heat at her question.

“Slow. So slow it feels like torture until our skin is on fire and we are addicted to the next touch, the next taste and we have to succumb to a rapturous frenzy of need.”

Hermione shivered. A thrum of want throbbing through her. Her breath caught in her throat.

“You seem to like that idea, Hermione,” Theo murmured. He was so close, his lips occasionally touched hers as he spoke. She couldn’t do anything except nod.

She moved her head and gave him a kiss on the corner of his mouth, tingling when he smiled, she slowly moved further across his the plane of his face, touching again on his cheekbone, her hands giving only the merest touch of her fingertips as she moved glacially down his spine. His mouth connected with her shoulder placing a soft kiss.

Hermione delicately touched her wand to her lips and whispered an incantation. She pressed another kiss to his neck and he gasped, pulling back.

“What is that?” he asked, cupping the area.

“Low-level transferable vibration spell,” she answered through tingling lips. “You don’t like it?”

“I love it. How does it work?” his voice was low and the way he twitched beneath her showed how the spell was affecting him.

“Just touch your wand where you want it, think about the intensity and say _Desiderium_.”

Theo tried it and his eyes widened adorably as the vibration hummed on his lips, he went to feel with his fingers but Hermione caught his wrist.

“If you touch your hand to your lips, it will transfer,” she warned him but all she received was a spine-tingling smirk.

“Oh, yes. I’m well aware,” Theo touched his thumb to his lips as she let go. Then she watched as he brought that thumb to swipe across her nipple, grinning as she let out a moan.

“So full of surprises, Hermione. Wherever did you learn this?” Theo said before kissing just under her ear and she gasped again, the tingling already started the low throttling of energy within her.

“I created it,” she told him, halting on a breath.

“Reeeeally?” he drew out the word as he placed another kiss on her collarbone sending a jolt through her. “What else can you show me?”

“You’ll have to wait for next time,” she slowly raked her fingernails over his scalp, threading fingers in his curly dark hair.

Theo growled low in his throat and closed his eyes.

They slowly moved against each other, giving experimental touches and kisses to see what set the other off. Hermione found Theo’s inner arm and elbow were particularly sensitive and he discovered how she loved being his fingers brushing along her sides teasing lower or higher as he saw fit.

Each slow movement to reach somewhere new held a taut anticipation that exploded into sparks of pleasure when the touch finally landed.

Theo’s teeth closed over Hermione’s ear lobe, worrying the flesh gently between them. Smiling into her moan.

Hermione held Theo eyes as she leant forward to connect her lips on his shoulder, her now tingling fingers pitter-pattering down his back, shuddering his spine to bring him even closer to her.

Theo brought his hands to swirl over her nipples eliciting a long “Ohhhh” of pleasure from Hermione that made his cock twitch against her.

The vibrating tingles were covering most of their upper halves now, causing them to breathe heavily and constantly shake just a little. Hermione’s dress was pooled high on her thighs and they had taken Theo’s trousers off leaving him in boxers.

Hermione looked deep into Theo as she took her tingling fingers and danced a circle on his inner thigh. He gave a violent twitch beneath her, biting his lip and closing his eyes against the sensation.

As he pulled the lip through his teeth, looking at her through his lashes and jerking slightly, he swallowed. “I don’t think I can take much more, Hermione.” He looked at her pleadingly.

“Then let’s get to the frenzy,” she held his gaze.

There was a small beat before they surged on each other. Theo’s underwear was off and Hermione’s dress thrown to the floor, her lack of undergarments appreciated by Theo running his tingling fingers over her bud, making her arch into him.

Responding in kind, Hermione grasped him at his base, working her hand upwards so it swirled around the tip, making him shiver against her.

They almost savagely brought their lips together, the discordant vibrations shooting pleasure through Hermione. Theo circled the outside of her, smiling at how wet she was as she ran a thumb right over his head.

“Oh fuck,” he moaned, dipping two fingers into her and curling them. She raised her whole body to meet him crying out with how good it felt, the vibration pulsing in her.

“Please tell me you’re ready, Theo?” she gasped and seeing him nod she simultaneously hooked her ankles around his head and pulled his hips forward, plunging him into her.

“Holy fucking shit, Hermione, I think I-”

“Don’t think, just move,” Hermione interrupted, so he did. Slamming into her again and again and she used her legs to pull him down into a kiss, still tingling hands trailing along his arse to the small of his back, revelling in how full she felt.

Theo grabbed onto the arm of the couch in support. Hermione could feel herself reaching the edge. She sighed as the angle dragged across her inner wall. The pressure ratcheting higher. She looked up at Theo to see he was studying her, learning what she liked best, noting it for later, his eyes near black with arousal. A zinging thrill passed through her.

“Oh fuck, Theo, please. I can’t hold off much longer,” she pleaded.

He dropped, bracing on either side of her. “Let it go, Hermione,” he said between breaths and they became even more frenetic, the uneven rhythm of their vibrations pushing them higher and Hermione came, crying out as she shattered around him.

A final kiss and Hermione felt Theo jerk inside her, his body collapsing on her in spasms as her orgasm continued to pulse out making her twitch and smile in pleasure.

Hermione wandlessly waved her hand in the air, “ _Defluo Incantatem_ ,” she whispered against Theo’s ear causing him to shiver again.

The tingling began to subside, slowly ebbing away until it was gone entirely and they lay listening to each other’s heavy breaths.

“You sure you won’t to marry me?” Theo asked, pulling up to look at her. Hermione just laughed.

They slowly sat up, Hermione waving away their mess.

Theo pulled her against him and kissed her. “I think Draco and Blaise are right, I am the luckiest man in wizarding Britain.”

Hermione could feel his heart still hammering in his chest as she chuckled against him.

“If you feel the need to satisfy any braggadocio, just make sure to sing my praises and bring any complaints to me.”

“No complaints on my end,” Theo said, still trying to regain a regular breathing pattern. Then he tipped his head back and groaned.

“What is it?” Hermione asked, kissing the expanse of throat he exposed.

He looked at her in a kind of pained way. “Draco is a very gifted Occlumens and Legilimens, he can always get into my head. He did it earlier today, saw our entire meeting with Wood.”

“Ah, that explains how he knew, I thought you may have told him. That’s pretty fucked up,” she shivered.

Theo protested he would never but Hermione quieted him. “Don’t worry, I thought you might want to confide in your friends since apparently I’m intimidating.”

“I wouldn’t have gone to see them at all, but they kept messaging me through our Protean and I thought the thing would burn through my trousers if I didn’t.” Theo grumbled.

Hermione bit the corner of her lips.

“That’s really fucking sexy, Granger and as much as it motivates me to want to go again, I know you’re thinking about something. What is it?”

“I could put a wall up. In your mind, I mean. Lock off all memories about me. But, the thing is, it would be a bit of an invasion and I don’t want to do anything you would be uncomfortable with,” she looked at him calmly. She didn’t want to pressure him.

“You can do that? Then please, go for it. Just don’t go wandering,” he said.

“Of course not, I actually abide by the law and when Malfoy goes into your mind, he’s breaking about 50 statutes. You could threaten him with Azkaban, you know,” she informed him, but she knew he wouldn’t do that to his friend.

Theo still grinned at her though, “Maybe give me a list of these statutes and I’ll send him a fun subpoena sometime.”

“Ok, are you ready?” She placed her hands on either side of his face. He nodded shakily.

Hermione got her wand and used it to focus, going into Theo’s mind and staunchly only looking for memories of herself, pulling them like a magnet. She collected them but didn’t flick through. She built a wall around them and wrote a message for anyone who tried to break in. ‘I don’t consent to this - H. G.’. Then she brought herself back.

Theo smiled at her with relief, shoulders relaxing. “Thank you for not prying,” he caressed her cheek and she could see in his eyes a deeper level of trust and respect. She kissed him tenderly.

“I have to get up at 6.00 am tomorrow. You are more than welcome to stay, I’m just letting you know what time I’d be kicking you out. I know you probably value a decent amount of sleep.”

Theo groaned at her teasingly, shifting her even closer. “Well, since my first meeting isn’t until eleven with Prewett Senior, one of the opportunities you have already given me I might add, I may leave you tonight, though I really don’t want to.”

“Be careful tomorrow, you might want to wear gloves at your meeting if you can get away with it. A small side effect of the _Desiderium_ is hypersensitivity the next day. Worth it though, right?”

“Absolutely worth it,” he said, kissing her again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the comments I have received already, it prompted me to add another chapter today.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	3. Blowing Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theo gets mad at Draco. Hermione has an encounter with Oliver Wood who in turn has an encounter of a different kind with Draco. Hermione works towards ridding herself of the Transit spell runes. Draco's fascination with Hermione comes close to obsession.

**Chapter 3: Blowing Up**

At 12.30pm the next day, Theo had thundered into Malfoy’s club.

“What, Drake. What the fuck do you want?” he called out, throwing his burning Protean on the bar.

A harrowing groan sounded from further in the club and Theo saw Blaise’s head pop up, his hands grabbing his head. There was a flopping sound and a female voice made a pained mumble.

“You alright there, love?” Blaise asked, but shrugged when it appeared she’d fallen asleep again. Theo could see her legs poking out from the booth.

Blaise stumbled his way over to Theo, pulling a Pepper-Up Potion from behind the bar and downed it. He squinted in the muted daylight that was coming through the club’s tinted windows.

“Nott, what are you doing here?” Blaise asked him, his voice grainy with the effects of the previous night. “Why are you wearing gloves? It’s summer.”

“It was nippy this morning,” Theo explained. “And I don’t know what I’m doing here, Draco would not bloody stop messaging me when I was trying to concentrate on my meeting with Prewett & Prewett.”

“Fuck, that righteous uptight old coot is making a deal with you? The wonders of Hermione Granger, huh.” Blaise coughed and shook his head as the potion started to take effect.

“Exactly. Which is why I want to know how come Drake was being such a COCK FOR BRAINS ALL MORNING,” Theo yelled the last part trying to coax Draco out from wherever he was.

“Not so loud Theodore, I have a guest,” Draco said, coming down the stairs in boxers and a silk robe.

“What do you want so I can get out of here?” Theo asked him again, irritated.

“Have to run back off to Granger?” Blaise nudged his mate and Theo stepped away.

“No, she has- what the fuck is that?” Theo pointed to a sign by the bar.

“Oh yes, my new best-selling cocktail according to the receipts from last night. What? You don’t approve?”

Theo glared at Draco as a vulgar illustration of Hermione lewdly poured a cocktail on herself with a drink special deal for the ‘Golden Girl’s Scandal Factory’.

“Take them down, right now, Malfoy,” Theo said, darkly.

Draco pouted. “You only call me Malfoy when you are angry at me, Theo. What’s so wrong with it? I thought maybe I could open up a whole new club with that theme.”

“She’ll take you to court for libel you idiot. That’s my future wife you are objectifying.”

“You’re not serious about that?” Blaise spoke up, unstoppering another potion and taking a swig.

“From what I can tell, she’s pretty perfect. I’d marry her tomorrow if she’d have me,” Theo told them.

“Ah, the rest of your evening must have been… climactic then,” Draco drawled. “Oh, by the way, Theo,” he smirked.

Theo turned very deliberately to his friend, catching his eye, “Yes, Draco?”

Draco tried to access what the rest of the evening had been like for Theo but as he riffled through to get to Hermione, he found a wall with a message. He tried to break it down, but it resisted every effort. Reluctantly he came back out.

“Find what you were looking for, Drake?” Theo asked innocently.

Blaise was looking at them agog. “What happened?” his eyes hungry for details.

“I don’t know,” Draco replied slowly. “She put a wall up in his mind with a note that she doesn’t consent to anyone looking at those memories. I’ve never come across anyone doing that before. Putting up a wall in someone else’s mind, I mean. It must have taken her a long time.” He frowned, turning over the ways she could have achieved this.

“Took a minute or two sure,” Theo shrugged.

“Just a couple minutes? How? And you just let her in? Does she know everything now?” Draco asked.

“No, of course not. I asked her not to wander and she didn’t. She went in, built the wall and came right out.”

“She’s a fucking saint,” Blaise shook his head.

“No, she’s just a decent person, unlike either of you.” Theo said with a sneer.

“Now, Theo, you can’t get all self-righteous on us. Just because you’ve got Hermione Granger on your arm does _not_ make you better than us,” Draco warned.

“No, my general demeanour and respect for human beings is what makes me better than you. I don’t think you’ve realised, but my party lifestyle ebbed away a couple years ago and I’m actually doing something with myself now. And yeah, it hasn’t been easy, in fact, it’s been a fucking struggle. Now I’ve been gifted Hermione, I’m going to try my gods damn hardest to actually deserve it,” Theo glared at his friend.

“It didn’t take her long to poison you against me,” Draco said with narrow eyes.

Theo rubbed the bridge of his nose, exasperated. “That would have maybe been true if you hadn’t done everything she thought you would. You probably found her somewhere alone and insulted her last night, right? And now, you’ve brought me here to assault my mind to find out what she’s like in bed, which she informed me breaks about 50 laws by the way. A list of which she has already sent me this morning.”

“Aww, Theo, don’t be like that,” Draco moved to clap Theo around the shoulders but caught a bit of skin by Theo’s collar causing him to shudder and jolt away.

“Whaaaat the hell was that?” Blaise raised his head off his hand in confusion.

“Sorry, it’s not you,” Theo tried to placate Draco’s offended face. Theo rubbed the back of his neck.

“Then what is it?” Draco looked hurt but it didn’t carry in his voice.

“I actually wanted to tell you, I have so many questions about it and Drake you’re the only other person I know that creates spells. But, shit, how can I fucking trust you? I know you told her on purpose without context you knew about Wood. Is your jealousy so overwrought you had to find any opportunity you could to undermine me?” Theo was angry, angrier than he’d ever been with Draco because by now he should know better.

“Don’t throw that back at me, Theo.” Draco was properly hurt now. A long held secret being used to strike against him.

“Did you think you were the only one? Well, you weren’t. And do you know what’s sick? She actually cares about you though she pretends not to. You’ve committed terrorism against her and her most trusted people and she still wants better for you. She’s worth a thousand times more than any of us and I’ll die trying before I give her up. But you were special, they helped you, gave you freedom, and this is what you do with it?” Theo gestured madly around the room before angrily pointing at the Golden Girl’s Scandal Factory poster to reiterate his point.

“Maybe I should have said something before this, but you know you never wanted to hear it. Pansy’s been trying to tell you for months and you never listen to her.” Theo was ranting now, pacing back and forth.

“To be honest it didn’t properly sink in until Hermione said out loud how fucked up it was you invade my mind. No one’s ever come out and said that before. Why is it that one night with her has me feeling more safe than I have in years?” Theo sighed then gestured to the Protean charm he had thrown on the bar earlier. “You can keep that, I won’t answer to it anymore. Drake, you know where to find me if you actually want help. Blaise- the lions, gods help them, seem to like you. Owl me if you want to hang out.”

And with that Theo stalked out of the club.

Blaise and Draco watched him go and there was a heavy pause.

“I wonder what spell Granger created that had him acting so strangely?” Draco mused.

Blaise gaped at him, “You’re not upset after all that?” He waved at the vague approximation of where Theo had been standing.

Draco shrugged. “He’ll be back.” There was a creaking twist of metal from the staircase. “Ah, Anna. Good morning.”

“It’s Emma,” the witch said, flatly. She had her shoes and cloak in hand with mussed up hair.

Draco gave her a pouch of gold. “So, you don’t mention the pesky accusation that I could possibly invade someone’s mind without my wand.” He stretched his arms out to show her there was nowhere for it to be hiding.

Blaise shook his head, wondering what game Draco was playing at now.

* * *

Hermione’s Floo roared at 4.30pm. She’d finished her work early, bringing in a forger on the run in Aberdeen and dragging them back to the Ministry by 2.00pm, filling out the paperwork until 3.30pm.

She was relaxing in a loose sweatshirt, over the knee socks and shorts. Oliver Wood stepped through the grate.

“Oh, hi!” she said with a bright smile. Oliver gave her a cheeky grin, moving to her.

“Hey!” came Hermione’s protestation as she was pulled off the sofa, book fluttering to the floor. But it was soon squashed by Olly’s lips against hers. Hermione’s heart fluttered. Oliver was strong and directive, getting her to open up quickly and his tongue soon started exploring hers.

The heat between them came on thick and fast and they were already grabbing at each other, pulling closer, sucking in heavy breaths of air.

Hermione pulled Oliver’s shirt over his head as he quickly divested himself of his trousers. He then pulled her sweatshirt and cropped exercise top quickly off her, taking a brief moment to admire her before lunging in again making her gasp out. He moved down from her nipple, hands remaining there, lips kissing the line of her abdomen. He trailed his hands down to tease her waistband and she moved her hands atop his to help push them down, stepping out so she was left in just her over the knee socks.

He was on one knee in front of her now and waved a spell over them. “Oh, by the way, hello Hermione,” he said with a smile before he took her in his mouth, hooking one of her legs over his shoulder.

“Oh, yessss,” Hermione sighed, tilting her head back. She already felt that spindling need coiling in her as his tongue rapturously claimed her. He growled, his hand on her arse pulling her closer as he tasted her, sucking on her clit until her cries of need were coming fast, spilling out of her with wanton abandon. Then he swirled one finger then a second inside her, crooking them, moving slower than the rest of him and she buckled a scream of ecstasy pulled from her as fizzing bubbles raced through her, pulsating from her core.

She was lost in the moment but knew she would have collapsed if it weren’t for Olly’s strong hand holding her up. He kissed the inside of her thighs until her quaking subsided.

“Do you trust me?” He asked, his eyes dancing at her deliciously.

“Yes,” Hermione breathed. A new wave of desire passing through her as he stood, keeping her leg over his shoulder then expertly turned her so she faced away from him. He grabbed her hands and used the burly muscles of his arms to pull her centre to him. Her leg sliding over his shoulder past him.

He teased outside her, rolling in a small circle before easing into her, twitching at her hum of approval. Then he began thrusting into her, using her arms to pull them together with each push of his hips. There was something very tantalising about knowing she would faceplant if he let go for even a second and the delicious stretch of her grounded leg as the other extended past Olly’s ear was building Hermione up again.

Oliver became even more enthusiastic at her moans and words of encouragement, moving at incredible speed until he felt her unspool around him, muscles twitching in pleasure and protest and he let himself go with a satisfied groan, moving his grip up her arms and slipping her leg off his shoulder until he was hunched over her back, with arms wrapped around her chest. Their sweat mingling with their gulps for air.

Hermione straightened them and turned around. “Well, Oliver Wood, I rather like your version of dating. How long has that been a fantasy of yours?” she cocked an eyebrow. It had been far too specific for him to have thought of it on the spot.

“Oh, from the first time I helped you correct that form,” he easily admitted. She laughed.

“And now that you’ve ticked that box?” she asked with a coquettish tilt to her head.

“Only about 30 or so to go,” he leaned in and kissed her again. A promise of what would come.

Hermione noticed the time on her clock. “Aren’t you meant to be commentating a match with Lee Jordan tonight?” Harry and Ginny had begged off their weekly dinner because they had tickets.

“I do,” Olly admitted. “But I said yesterday I’d come by this afternoon, so I apologise for getting straight to it.”

“Oh, don’t be sorry, I thoroughly enjoyed myself.” She gave him a smile. She was glad he hadn’t come by before 3pm as she had still been recovering from the hypersensitivity due to the _Desiderium_.

“I hope you’re not offended, but I really have to leave now,” he told her, looking a little apprehensive.

She gave him a quick kiss and a light slap across his tight arse. “Off you go, then,” she said with a wink. He quickly gathered his clothes into a bundle after pulling up his underwear and he Floo’d away with another grin.

Hermione had a quick shower and dressed in her nightgown before flopping back on the couch and picking up her book again. It was a tome about the temples dedicated to Venus. She was going to try and break this curse. She wouldn’t resign herself to a visceral demise if she could help it, but she was going to do it on her own without the menace that was Draco Malfoy.

* * *

The next day had Hermione showing Devin, her newly hired assistant, around the Ministry. He was very eager to get started, taking copious notes in a manner that could use improvement, Hermione thought. But if it worked for him, that was fine by her.

They had just applied for her transfer to the Department of International Magical Cooperation, with a specific request to be stationed in Rome. It usually took about six months for the transfers to be approved and arranged.

Devin was bouncing along beside her very excited about the prospect of going to Rome for a year or two. Hermione smiled, she liked the kid. 18 years old and a drop out from Hogwarts, he’d been at a loss for what to do with his life. So he was perfectly happy to follow her around. He’d already let her build a wall in his mind for the information he would be privy to. He’d laughed the whole time saying it tickled his brain.

“I should start learning Italian, right Miss Granger?” Devin asked with excitement.

“I can show you a translation spell I know. And please, call me Hermione,” she replied.

“Thank you Miss Hermione, a translation spell would be great!” Devin grinned broadly. He was like a puppy and Hermione couldn’t help but smile as he got distracted by something down a corridor and then had to run to catch up to her.

“I’m going to stop by a friend’s office at Magical Sports and Games, OK?” Hermione could hear herself speaking in a slightly infantilizing tone and she tried to stop it, but Devin was very cute in his eagerness. She’d work on it.

Devin nodded vigorously though. They made their way to Olly’s office and she knocked but he didn’t answer. She could see Oliver’s familiar figure through the frosted glass and another person. She took in their height, and their blond hair. _Oh, shit,_ she thought.

“Olly? Are you OK?” She tried to unlock the door, but Malfoy made a stone wall appear in its place.

“Devin, get close to me,” Hermione said, and he stepped so he was near touching her. “ _Protego,_ ” Hermione cast a spell, coating Devin and herself in a shield.

She calmly pointed her wand at the wall intoning, “ _Muffliato, Bombarda, Exsorbeo,_ " in quick succession.

The stone wall silently blasted inwards and the debris was instantly sucked into a portal before Hermione waved it away stepping into Oliver’s office.

He called her name and had his eyes pressed into his hands. Malfoy had stilled his wand at her entrance, raising an eyebrow at the complex spells she had used, tilting his head as if curious about the last one, another self-creation.

She easily disarmed Malfoy and blandly spoke a couple more incantations. “ _Incarcerous, Obhaeresco_ ” Hermione muttered, keeping her eyes on Olly. Malfoy was now bound by ropes and he hopped around before landing in one of Oliver’s chairs, glaring at her. She flicked her wand and replaced the door.

Mei Li Chang was standing outside it. “Apologies for the damage and I’m going to have to place this office under DMLE authority for a little bit, will that be alright?”

The Head of the Department for Magical Games and Sports sighed and said, “Whatever you need to do, Granger. Just please don’t bang up my office too much,” she walked away, shutting the door. Hermione cast another Silencing charm over it just in case.

“Can I open my eyes yet?” Oliver asked Hermione.

Now that things were less tense, Devin just burst with excitement. “Oh wow, Miss Hermione, you’re really something else! I mean, the stories all say so, but you’re so much more awesome than I thought!”

Hermione barely heard him prattle on though. She’d warned Oliver not to do anything until she told him to. She could hear Malfoy trying to say something, but she’d stuck his lips together. She just ignored him.

“Oliver, I’m going to turn your chair and will let you know when you can look at me, OK?”

He nodded, disturbed by the entire situation. Hermione carefully maneuvered Oliver’s chair and brought her hands to his face. He was now no longer in Draco’s eyeline.

“It’s OK, Olly. You can open your eyes now,” Hermione’s face creased when he did so. He looked a bit scared. She would have been as well.

“Hermione, I don’t know what’s going on. Theo warned me he might show up, but I didn’t really think he would. I mean, he’d have to be a psychopath, right? But he was here in my office when I arrived.” Oliver was babbling a little.

“Hey, hey. It’s OK, Olly,” Hermione stroked his face and he fell into her shoulder. “Devin, keep your wand trained on Malfoy. If he so much as twitches, blind him.” She heard Draco make an indignant but muffled noise.

“Permanently blind or slightly less than permanently, Miss Hermione?”

“Whatever you feel like, but remember he is currently unarmed,” Hermione replied.

“Aww, boo,” Devin whined.

“Who’s he?” Oliver asked, trying to find something normal to latch onto.

“Devin. I got him fired on Tuesday, so now he’s my assistant. He’s a total cupcake,” she explained.

Oliver laughed, Hermione was relieved to see him smile. She had an inkling about why Draco was here.

“Olly, I can help. Draco is a very talented Legilimens. But I can build a wall in your mind and keep him out. But I won’t do it unless you’re completely OK with it.”

“Oh, do it please. Then I won’t have to worry about that arsehole ever again.” He clutched onto Hermione’s hand. Oliver hadn't been surprised, it seemed she was right.

Just like she had Theo, Hermione went into Oliver’s mind, gathered the memories of her without perusing them and built a wall. This time she charmed a rune on the wall, one that would cause anyone who tried to tear it down a splitting headache. Then she exited.

“Thank you, Hermione,” Olly let out a long exhale and kissed her.

“Oh, uh, Miss Hermione, I thought you were with, Mr. Nott?” Devin sounded confused.

Hermione poked her head around the chair to look at Devin. He was giving the appearance of resolutely watching Malfoy, keeping his wand trained on him, as if he maybe hadn’t been watching a few seconds ago. Draco looked bemusedly at Devin, annoyingly unperturbed.

“I’m dating both of them. But only Theo publicly. They will be seeing other people as well.” She looked at Malfoy again. “Do you now understand what I told you earlier?”

Devin flicked through his brain, thinking about what Hermione had told him. Draco grunted in pain, shaking his head and closing his eyes. She smirked. He’d tried to read Devin’s mind and she was happy the rune worked. He could perform it without a wand, just eye contact. Good to know. Malfoy looked angry and curious as she raised her eyebrows at him.

“I still hope you don’t endanger yourself… but I get it, he’s pretty awful,” the kid replied, gesturing to Malfoy and then started humming to himself.

“He’s weird,” Oliver whispered, looking confused.

“Yeah, I like him,” she whispered back. Her expression grew serious. “Are you OK?”

“Much better now you’re here.” he smiled at her again. “Now what do we do with him?” he jerked his head to Malfoy.

They stood and headed over to Devin. Malfoy was still trying to speak and rolled his eyes at them.

“We could ‘accidentally’ snap his wand,” the young man suggested.

Hermione shook her head. “What actually happened, Oliver?”

“Malfoy was waiting in my office and as soon as I saw him, I shut my eyes but he tried to persuade me to open them. He didn’t spell me, but he did transfigure the door when he heard you. He kept saying he just wanted to ask me something, but Theo owled me this morning so I thought it was something more.”

“And what did Theo’s note say?” Hermione asked, absent mindedly patting Devin’s head even though he was taller than her. He didn’t seem to mind, smiling instead.

“It said Malfoy was being a fucking prick and if I saw him to shut my eyes tight until he left and that he’d explain in person,” Oliver scratched his head. “It was an odd enough message that I thought I should take it seriously.”

Hermione undid the ropes and the sticking charm on Draco’s mouth while Oliver gaped at her and Devin stepped between Hermione and Draco protectively.

“Fucking finally,” Draco burst out. Devin held his wand out again at him. “Calm down little pup, I’m not here to hurt her.”

“So what _are_ you here for, Malfoy?” Hermione looked at him with a glare.

Draco just got out of the chair without answering, the three of them watching him. He leaned into Hermione, but only drew his wand from her back jeans pocket. He opened the door but before he left he smirked, “Next time you tie me up, Granger, you should ask for my consent,” before the door closed behind him.

“Miss Hermione?” Devin eked out, silently asking if they should go after him. But she just shook her head. She focused on Oliver.

“One encounter and you’re already being terrorised, you sure you want to carry on?” He just pulled her tight to him and kissed her.

“I-I’m gonna find my way back to the DMLE,” Devin stuttered, opening Olly’s office door and walking purposefully through the Magical Games & Sports into the corridor, looking each way before he started walking left.

Olly and Hermione just watched.

Olly leaned into Hermione’s ear, “Do you think he-?”

“Mm-mm, no don’t think so,” Hermione shook her head.

Then they saw Devin walk by again going the right way this time. “I got it!” he called to them.

“I like him, too.” Oliver said, closing the door before wrapping Hermione in his arms again.

* * *

“Are you _trying_ to sabotage your life?” Blaise asked Draco as they read that evening’s _Daily Prophet_. Emma Fawley had done an amazing job, _SACRED 28 HEARTBREAK: GOLDEN GIRL GRANGER CAUGHT IN HEIR LOVE TRIANGLE!_ There were photos from the Venus Ball: Theo kissing Hermione on the red carpet, then a partially obscured one of her and Draco outside the kitchens and then another of Theo yelling at Draco and storming out of his club.

“No, I’m trying to show Theo how ridiculous he’s being,” Draco said. He read the article which also mentioned Draco’s visit to the Ministry earlier that day. It speculated he had gone to threaten Granger’s other soulmate, Oliver Wood and Granger had overreacted, blasting the door in her haste to get to him.

“It’s not Theo you’re trying to get to. I think you want Granger to storm in here with all her righteous fury and give you the satisfaction that you can make her vulnerable,” Blaise theorised.

“That would be a perk,” Draco said.

“It won’t happen, she said she would never.” Blaise laughed at his friend. “I think the only way she’d come here is if Potter dragged her.”

“The bigger reason is that this will bring people here in droves. Now they’ll think my new cocktail is a dig at Granger for flaunting Theo in front of me. I’ll have even more women lining up to mend my broken heart,” Draco grinned, clutching his chest dramatically.

“You’re a sick fuck,” Blaise shook his head.

The rest of that week, Draco’s club was packed full of witches and wizards and just as he predicted he was being fawned over by many a fine-looking woman. The _Prophet_ kept up the love triangle angle intimating that Draco and Granger had been having a secret illicit affair before the soulmate business and she’d ditched him for his best mate. He really didn’t mind playing the wounded lover as it made the Galleons pour in but neither Granger nor Theo ever made an appearance.

* * *

“Theo, I have to talk to you about something,” Hermione told him. It was finally Saturday and neither of them had anywhere to be on Sunday aside from breakfast with the Potters, so they were naked and sweaty from their exertions in her bed.

“Is it the fact you seem to have adopted a child without my knowledge?” Theo teased, kissing her hair as she lay on his chest. Devin had met Theo properly on Friday and become quite determined to learn everything he could about the wizard so as to best help ‘Miss Hermione’.

Hermione laughed. “No, though I really can’t help but be protective of him, he’s just so sweet. Anyway, actually I applied for a department transfer the other day and I found out earlier that it’s been approved.”

“Oh yes?” Theo waited and drew soft, lazy patterns down her back.

“It’s with the Department of International Magical Cooperation, I didn’t realise at the time, but the Italian ambassador has said they will be retiring very soon. They have asked me to step in to fill the role for at least two years. It’s a big step up, but I think they want to put me in a position more similar to the Ministership. They know of my ambitions.”

“That’s amazing, congratulations!” Theo curled her even tighter to him. “When does that start?”

“In six months,” she replied, tilting her head to look at him. “But I actually have another motivation for going there.”

“And what would that be?” Theo asked, curious.

“I’m going to try and break the Transit of Venus spell.”

Theo looked at her. “Are you not happy? Does it feel too forced, like you don’t have control?”

Hermione kissed his jaw. “No, I know I am in complete control, and without the spell this, us, may never have happened. But there are a lot of people suffering because of the transit and the intention that was used in casting this spell is no longer relevant. I want to try seek out Venus and ask her to end it.”

Theo hummed a little in thought. “That’s a big task, Hermione. No one knows how the spell could possibly come off. And the gods are fickle.”

Hermione nodded in agreement, her countenance hardening into unyielding determination. “I know, but I want to try.” The thought of her death in eight short years loomed towards her with the shadows in the room. “But also, I wanted to tell you that I would try come back to England when I could to come see you and keep up our relationship if you wanted?”

“You won’t need to do that,” Theo told her.

Hermione sighed a little put out but had expected this may happen. “OK then, what option do you want to take?”

Theo chuckled and pulled her lips to his, teasingly. “No, Hermione. You’re my future wife, I will absolutely be coming with you.”

“What? Really?” Hermione sat up a little. ‘What about all your business here?”

Theo laughed again. “Oh, Hermione if I came with you, I will be giving companies a ticking clock on making a deal with the vast Nott estate with the endorsement of the lovely Miss Hermione Granger. And being on the arm of the Italian ambassador… those are higher connections than I thought I could achieve. I will be inundated with requests to facilitate trade deals on magical silks, foods, enchanted leather goods etcetera. No, I would do very well in Italy, and I would miss you far too much. I am definitely coming with you. Though I would ask we hold a press conference to spread the word if that’s OK with you?”

Hermione’s heart squeezed as he so easily made the decision to stay with her. But she also felt a stab of guilt that maybe she was taking someone else’s soulmate out of England.

“I’d arrange that we come back here every month. I still have to be the spokesperson for the Malfoys monthly benefits. And of course, you could leave whenever you liked,” she assured him.

Theo stroked her face looking at her with adoring eyes. Hermione could tell his feelings for her were quickly getting stronger, but he didn’t have any qualms about her seeing Wood like they’d agreed and she appreciated his lack of jealousy. She had been very proud that Theo had reached out to her other lover to warn him about Malfoy.

“The Malfoys are going to love that. They get the public support for their cause from Hermione Granger and approval from the more elite part of society by having the Italian ambassador endorse it. Especially if you are coming back specifically each month to speak on their behalf. Lucius and Narcissa will be over the moon,” he smiled at her.

“I don’t want to pry, but do you want to tell me about what’s going on between you and Draco?” she asked. “It’s completely fine if you say no.”

Theo’s mouth quirked in a grimace. And he raised himself on his elbows. “Drake and I have been friends since we were old enough to remember. My family… wasn’t great and I would often stay with the Malfoys, sometimes for weeks at a time, until my father finally noticed I wasn’t home and would drag me back.” He paused and pulled Hermione to him, needing the comfort of her embrace. “So, Draco grew up more like my brother than anything else. And I think this is probably the longest time I’ve gone without talking to him since the war. At that time, he helped me get away and protected me. He volunteered for tasks and distracted Voldemort from trying to recruit me when my father pushed for my initiation. I’ll always be grateful to him for that.”

Hermione had no idea. She’d seen glimpses of that Malfoy but had never thought him truly brave enough to fully encompass it. If only he tried to be that person, then she wouldn’t be facing an early death. She had tried to imagine scenarios where she could just get it over with, but they had all made her feel sick.

“Anyway,” Theo continued. “After the war when you and Harry testified for him, I thought he’d finally act on his plans to outdo Lucius and make the Malfoy name acclaimed rather than notorious. But instead, he made that club and sunk into women, drink and being a right proper arse. If I’m honest, I was just like him, throwing myself into any pleasure I could find to erase the terror. But I wanted more, something that had lasting meaning. So, I started rebuilding the business portfolio that had been neglected since my father was arrested. Draco, though… he’s still in that place. Maybe I’ve been a little harsh since he had it worse than me. But it doesn’t excuse how he treats you.”

Hermione had been stroking his inner arm how he liked while he spoke to soothe him. “Maybe you should reach out then but set boundaries. Don’t go to his club, make him meet you somewhere else. He must really be hating these silly articles the _Prophet_ has been churning out.”

Though she’d largely ignored what was being printed, she’d still heard about it. A lot of people asked her for details daily. Luckily Devin had been running interference for her. He was learning well.

Theo surprised her by laughing loudly though. She raised an eyebrow, questioning. “I’m pretty sure that whole angle came _from_ Draco. It’s getting him a lot of publicity and even more women throwing themselves at him.”

Hermione didn’t think it was very funny. She shook her head at how someone who was obviously that clever could be wasting it by making her life more difficult for his own self-serving agenda. But then she thought about what Theo had said and Draco’s actions in the war. She understood the gravity of her privilege from being Harry Potter’s right hand, but she thought even if the roles were reversed, she wouldn’t undermine her friends to get ahead.

“I want to talk to him,” Hermione said, making Theo look at her in confusion. “I wonder if he’d still be so quick to do things like this if he saw me as something other than the upstart on-a-pedestal Golden Girl. Do you think he would meet in a Muggle location away from journalists?”

“That’s a bad idea,” Theo said, rubbing his face. “He’s a disaster anywhere with a lot of Muggles. He has no patience and uses wandless and wordless magic on instinct, we would just draw even more attention to ourselves. He might come here, or my estate though.”

“What about Harry’s? We’re going there for brunch tomorrow anyway. He kind of gets on with Harry. Ron and Fay even frequent his club sometimes.”

“I appreciate you wanting to help Hermione, but I’m already nervous about making a good impression with your friends without adding Draco into the mix,” Theo kissed the tip of her nose. “And there’s no way he’ll be able to get up early tomorrow, his club will be raging, and I doubt he’ll go to sleep until dawn.”

Hermione nodded. “Fine, we’ll do it some other time, but let’s walk to Harry’s tomorrow, it’s not very far and we can be cute. Give that stubborn reporter something nice to write about.”

“You think I can be cute?” Theo teased her.

“I don’t think it, I know you can be.” She kissed him and kept the compliments coming, punctuating each one with a kiss. “And handsome. Gorgeous, really, and sweet and simply wonderful in bed…” She inched her kisses down his torso, before disappearing underneath the sheet.

Theo lay back closing his eyes in bliss. “I’m gonna be the luckiest man in Europe,” he said, shuddering in pleasure as she laughed around him.

* * *

“Theo’s really going all in for this thing with Granger,” Blaise said to Draco, poring over the latest article about them replete with photos. They held hands and laughed, one showed Hermione dancing ahead of them, before Theo quickly caught up and twirled her around. Two more showed a soft caress and a kiss and them arriving at Grimmauld Place. “She’s introduced him to Potter and Weaselby.”

Draco twirled a finger in mock celebration. “Good for him,” he muttered. He regretted using hair of the dog to alleviate his hangover yesterday as now he felt twice as bad. He felt utterly spent having drank too much and enjoyed the company of too many women.

“I’ll probably try see him this week. I owled on Friday but his assistant wrote back and said he was tied up with meetings and dinner engagements.” Blaise stirred his coffee before taking a sip.

“Theo has an assistant now?” Draco scoffed. “I suppose his alliance with Granger has busied him beyond managing it himself.”

“Yeah, someone named Devin. They sounded cute in their message,” Blaise speculated.

“I’ve met him actually, he’s Granger puppy,” he paused remembering the excitable boy who thought Hermione Granger was the best thing on this earth. “He is annoyingly cute, it’s that waiter Granger got fired from the Venus Ball.”

“Granger’s puppy? Is that some weird kink shit?” Blaise laughed.

“No, he’s just like a puppy though, all bouncing and eager to please. When I was being… detained by them in Wood’s office she even patted his head to tell him he did good. I could practically see his tail wagging.”

Blaise laughed loudly at that. “She’s not fully aware of the effect she has on people, is she?”

“If she did she would be even more insufferable than she already is,” Draco grumbled.

“Oh, insufferable is she? So much so that you are jumping through hoops just trying to get her to spit derision at you? Come off it, I think _these_ speak louder than words.” Blaise pulled his sleeve up to see four or five temporary spelled tattoos, some overlapping others. It showed the same drawing from the Golden Girl’s Scandal Factory posters but now she winked or blew kisses or ran a seductive finger over her lips.

“This charm takes a lot of effort Drake, and you gave them out free with every cocktail sold. When will these fade anyhow?” Blaise rubbed one of them, but it didn’t come off. The illustrated Hermione looked offended.

“They won’t come off until she sees one,” Draco explained.

“What?! You didn’t tell me that! She might never see one!” Blaise exclaimed. He summoned some parchment and a quill.

“What are you doing?” Draco asked him, amused.

“Writing to Theo to meet with both of them at their earliest convenience so these damn things will come off,” he glanced at Draco, concern and curiosity meeting as he studied his friend. “Can I borrow your owl? On second thought, I’ll go home and get my own since they might _Incendio_ anything from you.”

He started gathering his stuff and headed out, but halfway to the door, he turned back to Draco who was looking at the newspaper again. “Drake?” Draco looked up at him. “Are you, like, OK?”

“Yeah,” Draco looked puzzled. “Why?”

“You’re just acting really weird, mate. I don’t know what’s going on with you, but I don’t think it’s healthy.” He gave Draco a look of concern and then left.

Draco frowned wondering what Blaise meant, then a brunette witch came down the wrought iron stairs from his apartment above.

“Diana was it?” Draco attempted her name.

“Dreama,” the witch said, helping herself to a coffee. “The other two are still asleep. Can I ask you something?”

Draco wafted a bored hand, “Sure, I suppose.”

Diana pulled a strand out from her face and let it spring back. “Why’d you curl all our hair? It’s kind of strange.”

Draco looked at her and the tattoo of Granger she had below her collarbone, her hair wild and curly around her head.

 _Huh_ , he thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the support I have received for this story already. Your kudos and comments really motivate me. 
> 
> The next installment will be uploaded on 20/1 NZT (I live Way Down Under so this may be the 19th for many of you).
> 
> Have a magical day!


	4. Talking Points

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hermione has some conversations with Oliver, Harry and Blaise. She tries to figure out Draco's motivation.

**Chapter Four: Talking Points**

On Monday Hermione decided to see Oliver to see how he was doing. She also needed to talk to him about her moving to Italy in six months. She’d meant to do it sooner, but she’d ended up spending the entire weekend with Theo. A happy smile left her as she thought about it. She and Theo were getting on very well, her crush on him having bloomed into giddy infatuation.

When she’d walked into the Games & Sports corridor she ran into Mei Li Chang again, greeting her old boss.

“Granger,” the woman had said, keeping her from heading off just yet. Hermione turned back to her. The woman stepped in near to her. “You and Wood seem… close.”

It was a question regarding how close they really were and Hermione wondered why she was being asked. “Yes, we became quite good friends when I worked in your department.”

“And you have chosen Mr. Nott as your soulmate companion?” she continued.

“Theo and I have been rather public in displaying our relationship. We will be moving to Italy together soon,” Hermione stated plainly, a curious tilt to her head. She watched the woman nod slowly.

“Thank you, see you later,” her old boss said, walking away.

Mei Li Chang was not a gossip and an idea sparked in Hermione as she walked the rest of the way to Oliver’s office, knocking at the door.

“Come in,” Olly called and she slipped in. He smiled when he saw her but it was a little strained. She Silenced the door.

“I need to talk to you about something,” he said, a serious note to his voice that wasn’t normally there.

“I needed to talk to you about something as well,” Hermione said, sitting across from him, neither made a move to give a more intimate greeting and Hermione thought her theory may be correct. “You go first,” she gestured at him.

He sighed, “I was approached by my boss and her daughter on Friday before I left the office for the weekend. Cho also has my runes from the Transit of Venus, mine and Ginny Weasley’s.”

Hermione held his gaze with a small friendly smile. Her thoughts had been proven correct.

Olly leaned back in his chair. “It puts me in an awkward position. Obviously, Ginny cannot be approached because of Potter which leaves me to make sure that Cho doesn’t explode into tiny Cho bits. And, of course, this is my boss’s daughter. You know how much I like it here, I don’t want to do anything to jeopardise that…” he trailed off, looking at her.

“And Cho requires exclusivity, so you need to end our arrangement,” Hermione finished for him. He nodded.

“Option 2, please!” he said with a false brightness.

Hermione gave him a sad quirk of her lips. She’d been hoping to see him a bit more before another soulmate came out of the woodwork.

“Well, thank you Olly. I’ll miss you,” she told him genuinely.

“I do wish we’d had more time together first, and if I’m being honest I’m not enjoying my options being cut off, I’m getting over, well... you know-” Oliver said to her but looked both disappointed and relieved at how she’d taken the news, a little uncomfortable as he skirted around his break up earlier in the year. “Now, what did you need to tell me?”

“Well, it doesn’t really affect you anymore, but I’ll be holding a press conference tomorrow. In six months, I will be appointed as the Ambassador for the Italian Embassy for the DIMC. I will be moving there for at least two years.”

“Oh, that’s huge! Congratulations!” Olly grinned at her. He knew a position like this would help fast-track her plans to make Minister for Magic. Well, her previous plans. “How is Nott taking it? He’s very invested in you, you know.”

She smiled happily. “I do know. He’s decided to come with me.”

Oliver shook his head with a grin. “Of course he has. It’s a total win-win for him. He gets to build his family’s fortune to even greater heights and gets to keep you to himself, away from Malfoy.”

Hermione rolled her eyes. “I’m not exactly worried about Malfoy. He’s annoying and I greatly dislike him, but he's mostly harmless.”

Olly just looked at her. “Granger, are you serious? You don’t see it?”

Hermione cast his own quizzical look back at him. He laughed long and hard. “‘Mione, Malfoy has feelings for you. Like, scary, obsessive feelings for you.”

Hermione paled, she really hoped that wasn’t the case. Every interaction they had in person certainly didn’t indicate anything of the sort. “What do you mean?”

“I haven’t seen or talked to him since he was about 13? And all of a sudden, I am connected to you and he comes into my office and apparently wants to invade my mind to get at memories of you?” He screwed up his face in disgust. “And when I arrived this morning, your face is everywhere on people's arms, necks, even saw someone with your face right smack in the middle of their forehead. I don’t know if you’ve seen it yet, but Malfoy has made this rude drawing of you and he charmed it into a tattoo which I hope is temporary. He named a new cocktail after you at his club and gave the tattoos out with each one bought. Those are not the actions of someone who is unmoved by you... Or sane for that matter.”

Hermione’s heart was beating so hard it hurt. A creeping unsettled feeling prickled along her scalp. A feeling that felt a lot like fear and she had the urge to run to Harry. She’d go see him after this. Right after she collected Devin from the Ministry library.

Olly looked concerned. “You really didn’t know… I’m sorry, Hermione. But if I were you, I’d stay as far away from him as possible.”

Hermione had left rather quickly after that. She picked up Devin from the library, telling him they would be going to see Harry.

“The real Mr. Harry Potter?” Devin had squealed. As she walked to Harry’s office, he twittered around her, going from side to side or walking backwards ahead of her, endlessly chatting about the things he’d heard about her and Harry.

She knocked and Harry bade her entry and Devin actually gasped, all his excitement swallowed by sudden nerves.

Harry looked up, eyes flicking to Devin then he grinned at Hermione. “This must be your new assistant, then?”

Devin blew a loud breath, “He knows who I am,” he squeaked. Both Harry and Hermione tried hard not to laugh.

“Yes, this is Devin, he would shake your hand but I think he might explode so perhaps, best not,” Hermione said, mouth twitching when a disappointed ‘Aww’ left Devin.

Harry came over to Hermione, giving her a searching look. He knew something was wrong.

“Why the visit, ‘Mione?” he asked.

“I just came from seeing Oliver,” she said and Harry quirked a suspicious eyebrow at her. “Not like that, actually he has decided to stop seeing me-” she was cut off by Devin’s gasp of outraged surprise.

“Why would he do that, Miss Hermione? He was so lucky though! Is it because he fell madly in love with you and can’t handle seeing you with Mr. Theo?” he garbled.

Harry couldn’t stop his laughter this time.

“No Devin, another soulmate has claimed him,” she explained.

“Ah, Mr. Theo will be happy,” Devin replied.

“We will not tell Theo, I don’t want him to think he has to stop dating other people,” Hermione told him. “Now put it away in your vault.”

Devin closed his eyes and screwed up his face in concentration as he moved through the mental exercises she had shown him to retrieve memories and put them behind the wall she had created. It still took him a while but soon he’d be able to do it without thinking.

Harry teasingly shook his head at her, amused by her interactions with the young man.

“You’re hiding it, but you don’t seem entirely OK. More disappointed about Oliver than you’re letting on?” Harry asked her.

“No, I’m OK, but Olly did say something that I don’t feel good about. He said that Malfoy has feelings for me. That he’s obsessed with me,” Hermione stared at the floor as she scuffed her boot on Harry’s carpet.

“Hmm, that could be true. After what you told me happened to Wood, it makes sense. But it could also just be some kind of sick game he’s playing to mess with you. It’s only you he’s awful to, when Ginny and I see him at Quidditch matches he’s actually alright. Well, in that arrogant, prattish way of his. He drinks with Ron and Fay when they go to his club. But, I don’t know, with you it’s just like school,” Harry shrugged. “Maybe it’s the blood purity stuff?”

“Maybe,” Hermione said. “I suggested to Theo we should meet with him, I wondered if he would be better if he got to know me. I don’t see him socially like you and Ron.”

Harry nodded. “That could help, I could be there too, if you wanted.”

Hermione felt her shoulders relax like they always did after she talked to Harry. “I think that’s a good idea, I’ll ask Theo to arrange it. I’ll leave you to your day.” She stepped in and hugged her friend before leaving.

* * *

“So you’re taking our Theo away with you to Italy?” Blaise asked Hermione. They were hanging out at an outdoor bar enjoying the late afternoon summer sun. Theo had gone to get them drinks and Hermione was relaxing on a beanbag, her yoga toned legs extended in front of her from denim shorts. Blaise couldn’t help but admire the witch, she used to bundle up so much at school. His tattoos had disappeared sometime yesterday so she must have seen one thankfully.

“Yes, looks like we’ll be there for at least a couple of years. You’ve got family there, right?” she asked him. They had held the press conference the previous day, the _Prophet_ publishing the details this morning.

“Yeah, we have a few vineyards and the palazzo is in Firenze. I usually go there in the winter, when it gets miserable here.”

“I will actually miss the rain, no one ever tells me I shouldn’t stay inside reading when it rains,” Hermione replied, enjoying the sun on her face, eyes shielded behind sunglasses as she crossed her arms behind her head. “You’ll have to make sure to visit Theo when we’re over there. I don’t want him to lose touch with you and Malfoy.”

Blaise was surprised. “I would have thought you’d want Theo to drop his friendship with Drake. Seeing how much of a prick he is to you.”

Hermione lifted a shoulder nonplussed. “He’s Theo’s family, I couldn’t ask him to cut out his brother.”

Blaise gave her an appraising look of respect. The sunglasses were so dark he couldn’t tell what expression she had.

“I’m actually hoping to see him soon with Theo and Harry. I’m wondering if maybe we can try and at least be civil to one another. Maybe get him to see me as a person rather than as a filthy Muggle-born. We will have to at least try as long as I’m with Theo. What do you think?” Hermione had turned her head but with her eyes hidden her look was unscrupulous.

“It’s not because you’re Muggle-born,” Blaise told her.

“Then why?” Hermione pressed but Blaise didn’t say anything. She sighed.

Just then Theo came back with their drinks. “You’re both still alive, can’t have gone too poorly in my absence then?” he sat, drifting the whiskies to himself and Blaise, handing Hermione a gin and tonic, kissing her quickly and smiling as her mouth curved, happy at the gesture.

Blaise watched them, sipping his drink as Hermione reached out and played with the hair by Theo’s ear and he brought her knee up to lean on it. There was a flash somewhere, another reporter fulfilling their Theo and Hermione quota. It went ignored by them and Blaise studied the couple. Their interactions seemed genuine, no show this time. They’d just gotten used to being followed around.

“You’re very comfortable around each other for two people who only found out they were soulmates last week,” Blaise commented.

“Oh, we’ve known each other for years,” Hermione told him. “I’ve been flirting with Theo since 2001. I can even recollect the date it began, June 5th. I remember it rather distinctly,” she ran her hand down to Theo’s cheek and poked him, teasing. Theo smiled at her and looked nervously at Blaise.

Blaise eyed him warily. He remembered that day as well. It had been Draco’s birthday and Theo had been very late, not arriving until close to midnight despite him and Pansy having organised the event.

“Is that so?” Blaise slowly edged out. Theo flushed a little as Blaise held his gaze, letting him know he definitely remembered that night.

“Yes, we were both at one of Xenophilius Lovegood’s lectures. One of the few practical ones about proper identification methods of magical creatures. I was in Regulation and Control then and the Department had asked me to go. Theo ended up sitting beside me. When the lecture finished I asked him what he’d thought and we didn’t really stop talking. I barely spoke to anyone else at the reception afterwards and we stayed there until they were closing up the bar and kicked us out,” she waggled her knee which made Theo sway a little.

Blaise watched Theo’s fingers brush Granger’s calf in an effort to get her to stop moving. He had a faraway reminiscing look about him. Granger continued her story.

“I actually asked him if he wanted to come back to mine to continue the discussion, but he claimed he was late to something and left. But we’ve seen each other at least once a month since then. We never miss Xenophilius’ and Luna’s talks but he had never taken me up on my offers to meet for coffee or go out for dinner. But then the whole Transit thing happened and now he’s stuck with me, poor guy.” She poked her tongue out at him as he turned to look at her, he tried to hide it, but his look shone with adoration.

Blaise felt a coldness seep into him despite the warmth of the sun. It had always been an unspoken thing that Hermione Granger was Draco’s girl. Not that he ever helped himself, throwing insults every time he saw her. But Theo had been sidling up to her for years. It’s amazing he’d been able to keep it under wraps for so long. And now Blaise knew. And with Draco’s current fervour reaching obsessive, he would scan Blaise’s brain for everything this meeting entailed. The aftermath was not going to be pretty.

Just then, Pansy arrived. “Hello my beautiful idiots! I know I’m late.”

Hermione rose up to hug Pansy and Blaise was surprised to see her accept it with a grin. Pansy didn’t hug people, she crossed her arms and made rude comments.

“I’ll get the next round,” Granger said. “What will you take, Pansy?”

“I’ll have what you’re having,” Pansy replied, taking Hermione’s beanbag.

As soon as Hermione left, Pansy noticed the tension between Blaise and Theo.

She huffed. “What is it now? Why are you looking at Theo like that, Blaise?”

Theo couldn’t look at either of them, but Blaise eyed him darkly. “Pansy, Drake’s birthday three years ago, the one on the beach in Greece... Why was it again that Theo was late?”

Pansy looked from Blaise to Theo. “His second cousin or great uncle or something? Magical accident and Theo had to take them to St. Mungo’s?”

“Yes, that’s what I thought, too. Except that’s not true, is it Theodore?” Blaise said, the words escaping through gritted teeth.

Pansy turned to Theo with a mischievous smile. “Oh yeah, Theo? Naughty, you were meant to be helping me run everything that night. So what, pray tell, were you doing instead?”

“He was attending a lecture. With Hermione Granger. Weren’t you?”

Theo at least had the decency to look ashamed. Pansy had gasped with scandal glinting in her eyes. “Reeeeallly, Theo? How perfectly wicked of you. This is just too good.” She cackled.

Theo finally met Blaise’s gaze. “I know, I know. I shouldn’t have. I know, I really do. Luna told me she would be there, so I attended the thing purely to invite her to Greece that evening. I thought maybe Drake wouldn’t be quite such a bellend on his fucking birthday, it’s the one time he isn’t a huge raving prat.” Theo sighed. “But then she started talking to me, and every segway to ask her to join us dried up and I just stayed with her. I hadn’t really seen her since sixth year. Certainly hadn’t talked to her. I just- it got away from me.” His eyes dipped.

“So you’ve loved her for years as well,” Blaise’s voice was icy, he ignored the jubilation in Pansy’s face as she watched them. She also knew about Draco’s feelings though the man never admitted it out loud.

“I tried, I really did. I would vow that each lecture would be the last, that I wouldn’t go the next month but then she’d write me saying she was looking forward to seeing me and I would falter. But I never accepted her offers of drinks or invites to Ministry events. And then the Transit happened and my name was on her. Not his, mine. What could I do? Ignore divine will? But I’m still sorry about it.”

“He’s going to find out, I don’t have a pretty barrier like you do,” Blaise warned him. “He knows I’m meeting you. And her.”

Theo swallowed. “I could ask Hermione to make one for you. She’d do it without question and she doesn’t stray when she’s in there.”

“There’ll be suspicion either way,” Pansy chimed in. The other two looked at her. “What, you think Draco’s not going to notice that suddenly all his friends have mind vaults with her signature on them?”

“If he finds out, it should be because I tell him,” Theo looked pleadingly at the other two. “Please, you know this would destroy him.”

“Fine.” Blaise ground out. “But I’m not good with this, Theo.”

Theo darkened. “Have you seen her anything but happy with me?” Blaise shook his head. “And yet I’m the worse man? Try to see it from her perspective, who would you choose?”

Blaise’s eyes dipped down. The answer was simultaneously simple and difficult. Draco was trying to lay claim to something that wasn’t his and Blaise knew that was wrong. His possessiveness, his jealousy... Even if everything happened the way Draco secretly wanted, Blaise could only see it ending badly.

Pansy smirked. “Just imply you want to be protected like Theo, her bleeding heart will do the rest. Now shut up, I hear her coming.”

Hermione skipped over to them, sending their drinks out. She sat in between Pansy and Theo on the ground. She lay her head on Theo’s lap, reaching a hand up to stroke his jaw. Blaise watched Theo shield the sun from her face with his hand and she took off her sunglasses. Another camera flash from some nearby journalist.

“Everyone seems rather serious,” the witch said. “Even you, moreso than usual at least.” She poked Pansy in the arm with an exposed toe from her sandals.

Pansy smiled. “Actually, we were just saying how we wish we were able to protect ourselves like Theo. I know a little bit of mind magic and I have to say, you built that thing very solidly.”

“You two need a wall?” Hermione asked Pansy who nodded, and so did Blaise eventually. “How much mind magic do you know? Can you gather the memories you want separated?”

They both nodded again. Hermione grinned.

“OK, do that then let me know. If it’s alright with you, I can go in and create a wall. I’ve never had one break on me.”

“Fine, Granger. But you’re not to go walkabout in my brain,” Pansy warned her. Hermione shook her head indicating of course she wouldn’t.

True to her word, Hermione did not flick through memories or even really know what they were of. But she built the walls for Pansy and Blaise, they had asked for the walls to be blank and Hermione shrugged, doing as they asked.

“Thank you, Granger.” Pansy said after it was done. “How Gryffindor of you to come to our aid. I will return the favour sometime.”

Hermione laughed, a free, wild sound that danced in the air. “How Slytherin of you to think helping out a friend is a transaction.”

Pansy laughed and started talking to her about the next party coming up, mentioning they should get ready together.

Blaise watched Theo who stared only at Hermione, smiling like she was the only thing making his heart beat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I hope you enjoy this chapter! I'm really loving writing this series and focusing on the complexities of characters, with nothing being straight black and white. Hermione and Draco are two people who create lies for what they deem to be good reasons but accomplish selfishness and idiocy. 
> 
> No Draco in this chapter, but I do encourage his character be read with the intention that he leaves a lot unfelt and unsaid since he lies to himself almost as often as he lies to those around him.
> 
> Thank you very much for reading and I really appreciate the feedback and lovely comments I have received.
> 
> Next update will be on 22/01 NZT.


	5. Implications

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hermione and Draco have a conversation.

**Chapter Five: Implications**

The club was busier than usual for a weekday and Draco was being petted by a blonde who smiled entirely too wide, the strain showing the effort she was putting into bedding him. As he turned away, slightly bored, he noticed Pansy and Blaise heading to the booth he kept reserved for his friends.

Fran or Frida or whoever was trying to get into his lap made an outraged noise as he stood up and left her. She still called after him though.

“Didn’t think I’d see you here tonight, Pans,” Draco said, slipping in beside them. Pansy seemed to have enjoyed herself with Granger, she was relaxed and smiling. Blaise seemed nervous.

Pansy looked up at Draco with twinkling eyes, playing with a strand of hair. “Blaise begged me to come with him. He thinks you’re going to be impossible.”

“I usually only aim for incorrigible so impossible may be a stretch,” Draco drawled, indicating drinks be brought for the table. “Seeing how you think I have no ambition, Pansy.”

“Still with news of Hermione and Theo whisking themselves off to Italy to live an idyllic romantic life and now Blaise and I have come back with Granger-mortared mind walls, you’re going to go wild trying to find out why we need them,” Pansy replied, an infuriating nonchalance in her voice.

“Pansyyyy,” Blaise groaned, immediately downing the whisky that had arrived and rattling for another.

Draco had stilled, looking at them cautiously. He reached out and felt in their minds, large walls penning in memories. There were no messages on these ones though. The unavoidable feeling of intense curiosity overtook him again. He brought his hand under the table to clench against his thigh. He would not succumb to behaving the way they all clearly thought he would.

“And why would you need those?” his words came out like silk, slippery and careful not to snag on anything. It was too smooth and Blaise flinched.

Pansy looked at him, right in the eyes, “Because it’s not right, Draco. We love you, but it’s not right. We have to protect ourselves. And-” she gave him a more significant look. “We have to protect her from you.”

Blaise looked like he wanted to be anywhere but in this moment, he didn’t disagree though.

Draco’s mind burned like something was buried within him screaming to know, to consume, to absorb. He knew it wasn’t right, but he couldn’t help it.

He summoned every ounce of restraint he had and gripped his tumbler until his knuckles were white but all he said was, “Alright.”

Blaise slumped in relief and Pansy blinked away the mistiness that had uncharacteristically entered her eyes.

“I am interested in how she creates these walls though, it’s either brand new magic or very, very old,” he asked to steer them away from their fear.

Pansy smirked at him in encouragement. “Yes, she created it. Something about Potter struggling in school with Occlumancy so she devised a way to help if he needed it. Though I think it was only after the war. She was telling me about it as Theo and Blaise really outdid themselves trying to have the most awkward, stilted conversation ever.” She rolled her eyes.

Blaise glared at her, knowing she was throwing him in the deep end now. They shared a look like they knew they should divulge at least some details.

“Granger wants to meet with you,” Blaise told Draco to distract from Pansy’s comment.

“I thought she needed protecting,” Draco threw out sarcastically.

“She knows you and Theo had a falling out, she doesn’t want Theo fighting with his brother. She hopes to become your friend I think,” Blaise watched carefully for any wayward behaviour. “Theo must have told her about how you guys grew up. If you decide to though Drake, I have to warn you it’s tough to be around them.”

“Ugh, yeah. It really is,” Pansy flicked a lock of hair from her face.

Draco snorted at the looks on their faces. “What do you mean?”

“It’s one thing to see it in the papers, but it doesn’t properly capture what they’re like together, it’s way worse than at the Venus Ball,” Blaise explained.

Pansy made a face. “Yeah, they’re so sweet, it’s disgusting. And they’re so fucking considerate of each other, just, bleuuurggh.” She shivered. “Theo shielded her eyes from the sun for an hour. A whole hour! And ‘Mione just won’t stop touching him, like she can’t bear to be away for a moment. Truly sickening. I’m sure you’ll see the pictures in the _Prophet_ tomorrow.”

“That doesn’t sound fun to be around,” Draco replied. He saw Ron Weasley and his girlfriend come in and raised a hand, receiving one in return.

Blaise and Pansy exchanged a glance.

“Draco,” Pansy warned and he turned to look at her, eyes wide like he had been thinking perfectly innocent thoughts. She sighed at him. “He has a wall, too. Any way you wouldn’t have learned anything useful. They were young and fumbling. Just experimenting with no real idea what they were doing.”

Blaise scoffed. “And how did you wrangle that information out?”

“Girl talk is a powerful thing, Blaise. I’m sure I’ll know more on Saturday when I get ready with her for the next Twenty-Eight Party. And don’t worry, yes you can come with me. Salazar knows I don’t need to be dating right now,” she sniffed, bobbling her head in an annoyed way. “Fuck knows how the universe thinks I’ll get an orgasm from that bumbling fool.”

Draco slid her a drink, she looked like she needed it. That was another wrinkle of this spell, the witch had to get off or it wouldn’t work. Clearly Venus wanted to ensure it was a good time for those affected by her magic.

Ron and Fay were coming over to join them. Blaise quickly turned to Draco. “So, can I tell Theo and Hermione you’ll meet them?”

Draco just raised his eyebrows at his friend’s worry. “Sure,” he told him before greeting Ron with a grin and swept his arm out to encourage them to join in.

And the whole time his brain continued to burn.

* * *

Hermione was waiting at the Leaky Cauldron at 3pm on Friday. She jiggled her foot, slightly nervous. She wasn’t sure her course of action had been wise, but she was here now. She knew Tom Jr. at the bar would look out for her if needed.

She looked at her watch, 3.05pm, he was late. Of course he was. She huffed. No one’s time was more precious than his own.

Her foot jiggled some more.

She saw the door open and Malfoy stepped in and locked eyes with her. She inhaled and exhaled through her nose as he came over.

“Granger,” he said in greeting, standing by the table. She gestured with her hand for him to sit.

“Tom, get Malfoy a whisky, would you?” she called out, but her eyes didn’t leave Malfoy’s carefully stoic expression.

“What kind?” Tom’s voice called back. The bar was empty except for a couple in the opposite corner.

“The expensive kind, I’m supposed to be making a good impression,” she replied. Malfoy just raised an eyebrow at her.

There was a pause as Hermione waited for the drink to arrive, eyes never leaving Malfoy’s face. He seemed fine with staring at her impassively as well.

“Here you are,” the barman had come around and delivered it himself, checking in on her. She turned to him and gave him a kind smile.

“Thanks, I appreciate it, Tom.” The wizard nodded and left.

“So, whereabouts is Theodore?” Malfoy asked her, the words dripping from him syllable by syllable.

“Not here yet. I told him and Harry a different time to you,” she was locking eyes with him again like it was a challenge.

“You lied to your boyfriend and Potter just to spend some alone time with me?” Draco smirked at her.

“Yes, I did want to see you alone for a little bit. And no, I didn’t lie to them. And Theo isn’t my boyfriend,” she corrected.

“I highly doubt they would have let you if they knew. A lie of omission is still a lie, Granger,” his words were smooth and calculated, she felt herself burn with anger just a little. He continued, “And what is Theo to you then if not a boyfriend? You’re not currently seeing anyone else.” He gave her a knowing look.

She narrowed her eyes. “How do you know that?” She had only told Harry about Oliver not seeing her anymore. He and Devin were the only ones with that knowledge.

“Cho Chang happens to be a magic item restorer. She works with my parents,” Draco supplied easily, taking a sip of his drink, eyes still set on her.

Hermione felt that creeping dread she got when she was about to learn something she didn’t want to know.

Draco spoke again. “I was all too happy to try to covertly ask Wood about his dating situation. See, it would be inappropriate coming from his boss and Cho was too nervous to just ask.”

“That is _not_ why you were there that day,” Hermione hissed at him, leaning over the table with crossed arms.

“Incorrect, Granger. That is not the _only_ reason I was there that day.” He tsked at her. “See where lies of omission get us?”

Hermione shot him a dark look. She pretended she didn’t feel his magic pressing in her mind. Like ivy climbing her castle walls, trying to find cracks in the stone to get inside. He was very good, it was incredibly subtle.

“And I guess you reported back that I stormed the place to make sure Oliver was OK, creating a narrative that perhaps I hadn’t settled for just Theo. Which, of course, you already knew. You hastened whatever plans Cho had about the situation so Oliver would stop seeing me,” Hermione theorised, being rewarded by Draco’s smirk as confirmation.

“So then, the question becomes why, Malfoy? You never answered me that day, but I will find out now.” Her tone was harsh.

“Why does anyone do what they do?”

She exhaled in exasperation. “Clearly it depends on the individual. It could be money… power… or even love.” She waited after each suggestion, but his face showed nothing except a growing boredom.

A spike of annoyance bristled in her and she felt his ivy tighten around her castle, disguised by the emotion.

“Tell me why then, Malfoy?” she repeated. “There are theories floating around. Harry thinks you’re awful to me because I’m Muggle-born, but Blaise refuted that. Olly thinks you have a wildly obsessive love for me.” She wafted her hands around like it was a ridiculous notion, but he was impassive, unmoving. “So, which is it?”

Draco quirked his lips at her. “Who's to say it isn’t some strange third option. Like perhaps I’ve always considered you a rival that needed to be taken down, or maybe you committed a grave injustice against me I’m getting you back for. Or it could just be that I find your presence intolerable for no other reason than it’s you.”

His invasion in her mind had tightened again, trying to strangle her into submission but it wouldn’t be that easy. She shrugged at him. “Sure, so which one is it? I’m just trying to find a way for you and Theo to reconcile. I’m not going to let go of him anytime soon. I’ll be in his life. Can’t we make this easier on ourselves?”

“Nothing good comes easy Granger, and you have an unfortunately large reservoir of goodness so I’d say you should expect things to continue being difficult for a long while yet, unless you’re willing to compromise on exactly how easy you can be.” She curled her lip at the innuendo as he edged further into her mind, his eyes widening a touch as he felt a slight difference on a turret, it didn’t feel the same as the rest of the castle. It felt like Pansy.

Malfoy was finding loopholes in loopholes and now he’d finally discovered how she was able to create walls in other people’s minds, adding them to her own like an extension.

She ran her tongue over a canine, “Having fun in there, Draco? You don’t think I didn’t notice, did you?”

There was a beat before Draco made his feelers surge, trying to slither in anywhere he could. Hermione looked back at him and sent her own attack at his defenses. Where he was subtle, she was aggressive, a jackhammering in his brain shook loose his hold on her and retreated. She increased the attack, and he moved two fingers to his temples, rubbing it with a tight smile as he fought her off. She knew his brain would feel like it was in a paint mixer, not that he knew what that was. She felt him scramble to fill the cracks and holes that were forming. He really was remarkably quick, any ordinary wizard would be completely defenseless by now. But Hermione just needed that one moment when he was distracted and didn’t realise- ah, there it was.

She focused on a singular point, holding it in the crack that he hadn’t been able to fill quick enough. She knew she had him and judging from his scowl he knew it, too. She immediately halted the attack, a metallic tang coursing their minds as Hermione kept her lancing in the crack on the precipice, he knew if he tried to do anything while she was there, the whole thing could come crashing down. She knew a swansong would be playing in his ears as he waited for the fall.

But it didn't come, she retracted and left him alone.

“That is certainly an interesting technique,” Draco observed, coolly. As if she hadn’t almost seen all his secrets.

“The wonders of Muggle technology,” she replied with a sarcastic smile not elaborating.

There was a pause and Hermione could feel the flush of victory heat her neck.

“Was that not fun?” Draco asked, eyes still boring into her own.

It was like being dashed into ice water and the smile she didn’t know she had dropped. He just raised an eyebrow at her and gave a single laugh in his throat.

“I’m trying, Draco. Can’t you? For Theo?” she fell back on earnestness and hoped for a glimmer of sentimentality from him.

“I assure you, Granger. This is me trying very hard,” letting his words glide between them to ghost over Hermione and an unbidden shiver of nerves passed through her.

“Hermione!” Theo had arrived. He was early, probably wanted to avoid Hermione being alone. _Sorry, Theo,_ she apologised in her mind. It was outside her castle and she knew Draco heard it judging from how his smirk increased.

Hermione could tell she looked tense and the way Malfoy looked like he was poured into his seat, relaxed and unruffled had Theo bristling towards his friend.

Hermione reached to him and took his hand, pulling him down into a chair beside her. “Hey babe, how’d the meeting go?” It was a small manipulation and she felt guilty but the endearment turned his attention back to her and he smiled, leaning in to kiss her quickly.

“Very well, actually. But we’ve been extended dinner invitations by Priya and Rahul if you’re OK letting me borrow Devin again?”

“It will be good practice for him for when we go to Italy, there isn’t much I need him to coordinate at the moment,” Hermione replied.

“Ah yes, where is your puppy, Granger? I didn’t think he would let you come meet me alone,” Draco drawled, blinking as if he hadn’t just dropped an implication into the conversation.

It did its job, drawing Theo back to why he’d arrived early just to find the perpetually late Draco already there. But then, Harry entered.

“Oh, everyone’s here already,” he said, taking the last seat giving Hermione a distracted hug. “Theo, Malfoy,” he greeted the other two.

“Yes, Granger and I have been getting on splendidly for the last twenty minutes, haven’t we?” Draco presented the question to her with a tilt of his head, cold amusement in his eyes knowing he was getting her in trouble. There was an uncomfortable stilling in the air from the three of them.

“Are you OK?” the question came out of two different people, each aimed somewhere else. Theo’s was to Hermione, Harry’s aimed at Malfoy. There was a moment of confusion.

“You’re asking Draco if he’s OK?” Theo queried.

Harry nodded slowly. “Um, yeah. If I were Malfoy, I would have waited until one of us showed up. Hermione is scary,” he raised a finger to point at Malfoy. “And he’s bleeding from his ear, so clearly something happened.”

Draco touched his fingers to his ear and they came away bloody. “Huh,” was all he said though.

“He’s fine,” Hermione dismissed the incident. “Just a little shaken up.” She waved a healing charm at him anyway.

Theo had grabbed her head and turned it side to side to check for similar afflictions but found none. Then he rounded on Draco. “What did you do? I know you must have started it.”

“He was testing me. I passed, did I not?” she directed the question at the man opposite her who scoffed and looked away.

Theo shook his head. “Since this has gone swimmingly already, can we just have a bloody drink and at least practice civility?”

“Sure, I’ll get it,” Hermione stood and went to the bar, she could feel two sets of eyes on her as Harry needled Malfoy about using the Manor’s pitch to practice for their social Quidditch team.

She put in the order and made sure they were all distracted before slipping off to the bathroom.

She locked the door and gripped the sink. Her layered necklaces jangled discordantly on the porcelain. She scuffed her foot hard on the ugly linoleum, enjoying the way her heavy boots felt powerful and sturdy, her heel a clicking dagger on the ground. She was going to miss her bounty hunter clothes when she became an ambassador.

She knew she was distracting herself because she didn’t want to think about it. She wouldn’t think about how their mind battle had actually tested her magic for once. Or about how fired up she got when they verbally tried to unseat each other. She screwed up the piece of her that was curious about his motivations. He was a vile, arrogant bastard. This meeting had not been for his benefit.

Safely behind her castle walls, she thought about Theo instead. The way he was able to make her smile, his gorgeous cheek dimple that only appeared when he was embarrassed, how her heart would race when he did something unexpected like gathering her hair and twisting it into a top knot or turning an easy reach for him into a twirl, kissing her in a dip and leaving her breathless. He was why she was putting herself through this.

She felt like she had collected herself enough and drew in a final breath. Then the door unlocked and Malfoy stepped in. She looked at him in outrage.

“It’s not like you’re using it,” his smirk was more infuriating than ever, challenging her to be uncomfortable. She ignored that and watched him through the mirror. He didn’t wait for her to exit. He turned away and used the stall. She refused to be cowed though. Glaring at his back, knowing this was another test for her resolve. She heard his zip again and he exited, coming to stand right behind her.

He leant down, arms passing in the gaps where she gripped the sink making her clench the sides harder. His breath rolled across her neck, “Still here, Granger?” he chuckled and she could feel it vibrate through her. He washed his hands in the sink as they stared at each through the mirror. He was taking far too long and she glared at him. He smirked again and removed himself, passing through her arms again. He tilted his head at the paper towels on offer before leaning again and wiping his still wet hands down the sides of her black jeans and she opened her mouth in shock at his audacity. She could see him looking at the side of her face, dragging the backs of his hands slowly upwards over her again before he stepped away.

“So, you still want me to try?” His eyes stole hers from the mirror to look at him properly and she thunked her mouth shut, clenching her jaw in… what was it she was feeling right now? Anger, certainly. Discomfort too had settled in the pit of her stomach. And though she hated herself for it, the barest hint of arousal. She swallowed, her tongue feeling like a cactus in her mouth. He laughed again and left.

She set the tap to its coldest and cupped her hand in the water and splashed it on the back of her neck to curb the shame-filled heat pooling there. She waited a couple more minutes, getting her breathing and flushed face back under control before she went back. She was going to have to be very, very careful.

As Hermione returned she could tell Theo had apologised to Draco, and Harry looked at her ready to chastise Hermione for not being forthright in her actual plan. They managed to converse for a couple of hours without mean-spirited insults being traded. However, this was only achieved by Draco and Hermione not actually speaking and barely looking at each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hmm... what do we think? Getting worse isn't he, doesn't bode well for Hermione.
> 
> Thank you for all the feedback and comments. 
> 
> Next update will be on 25/1 NZT


	6. Every Little Bit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theo and Hermione host a Christmas party where secrets are revealed.

**Chapter Six: Every Little Bit**

_24 December 2004_

“Hey sweetness,” Theo had arrived at her place and tilted her head up to kiss her neck as he hugged her from behind.

Hermione giggled, placing the piping bag down. “I don’t know why you call me that. I’m not exactly a blushing waif.”

Theo had been using the pet name for a number of months now. While she didn’t think it suited her exactly, she loved the way he said it, a dark growl like her sweetness was a sin.

Theo ran his nose against her, breathing her in, hands dipping below the bottom of her off the shoulder top and silkily dragging his fingertips upwards. “Oh my Hermione, it is not a reflection of your personality.”

“No?”

Theo picked her up and deposited her amongst the baking supplies, ignoring her cry of admonishment as he sat her upon a sprinkling of flour that was on the bench to avoid the biscuit dough sticking. He grinned at her, cupping her face in one large hand, the other inching up her skirt, slowly bringing her underwear down her legs, letting them drop to the ground. In a swift motion, he pulled her closer to the edge of the bench, clouds of flour puffing in the air.

He began kissing up her inner thighs, watching her as he sank to his knees. He held her gaze as he made a long and slow lap across her folds and clit. She gasped. He moaned.

“No,” his lips hummed across her most sensitive skin. She was vibrating with need for him to continue. He sucked at her bud, using his teeth just the smallest amount and she cried out. “My calling you sweetness is for how you _taste_.”

He darted his tongue inside her, rolling it and kissing along her entrance. A deep longing note coming from him as he savoured her.

“Oh my God, Theo!” She grabbed the back of his head, but he resisted. She let him finish what he wanted to say.

“Everytime I call you that, it’s because I’m thinking about being right here, with my mouth on you, hearing you come for me.”

He delved into her and she shrieked at the intensity of contact. He used the pad of his thumb on her clit and moved his tongue against her, electricity shooting through her.

His other hand held her thigh as it draped over his shoulder, holding her in place. She so often was too eager to reciprocate and he was telling her that all he wanted right now was to give, not receive.

She tipped her head back into the feeling as his tongue played havoc with her. He was playful and cheeky, giving short maddening licks on her clit, before pausing, smiling on her skin until she begged him to keep going. Then he would dive in powerfully, tongue rolling, and sucking. Hermione screamed and fell back depositing a bowl of egg wash all over the kitchen floor and herself after she writhed a little too vigorously.

He didn’t stop though, laughing a little at her half-coherent words, “Please… oh so close… fucking hell… please Theo.” The humming energy from his amusement zinged through her and she felt her body gathering the rumbling thunder. Using his hand on her clit again and rolling his tongue inside her, Hermione felt the burgeoning sonorous force rolling and tensing as it waited. Theo worried her clit in his teeth gently again before rolling his tongue over it in circles, clockwise and counter clockwise. Then with a crack through her body the lightning hit and she arched her back wildly as the orgasm blasted out of her, skin simmering with ozone and sparking her every nerve. She could feel her vocal chords vibrating but couldn’t even hear herself let alone think as pulse after pulse of beautiful exquisite energy was conducted through her.

Kissing her core until she finally stopped twitching, he stood and pulled up her boneless form. He kissed her slowly and lovingly until she was cognizant enough to kiss him back. Hermione fluttered her eyes, still awash with pleasure and found her peace in his green eyes. She smiled languidly as they kissed again.

He gently tipped her back at an angle and passed a hand up to close her eyes. He took a sprinkle of sugar and dusted her face and neck with the white crystals. Languorously, he kissed all over, lapping up the confection. She elicited a gasp and moan as Theo dipped his fingers into still wet and tingling core, building her yet again.

It didn’t take long as his tongue tracked over her neck with open kisses, sucking at her sensitive spots until she was shaking and mewling again, her brain still fizzing from her first orgasm. As he crooked his fingers in the way that made her keen with breathy moans of _harder.. faster… oh yes, Theo_ another sheet of light flashed through her and she jolted in his arms, black spots teasing her vision. She clutched onto him as if she were doing everything she could to remain solid. His kisses punctuating over her lips, capturing the last of the sugar and he got her to open up, passing the granules to her as they massaged their tongues together. Her second orgasm throbbed through her, she knew would have collapsed if not for Theo’s strong grip.

He brought out his fingers and disconnected from her. Her eyelids slowly blinked open and he brought his fingers to her mouth where she sucked on them.

“See, delicious right, Hermione?”

She was so spent she couldn’t even answer as she danced her tongue over his digits. He leaned down to her ear.

“Sweet, isn’t it?”

She shivered. He appraised her with spilled egg wash on her arm, flour in her hair and she was sure at some point her hand had swept through some icing that was on the bench.

He tsked. “You’ve made a terrible mess, sweetness. I guess I’ll have to join you in the shower to make sure you get nice and clean in time for our guests.”

 _Oh Merlin, this godsdammed amazing man,_ Hermione thought before crushing herself against him, bruising his lips. He growled again and she yelped before laughing as he flung her over his shoulder to carry her to the bathroom.

Six months had flown by since the beginning of the Transit spell. Hermione and Theo had decided to head to Italy on Christmas Day with Devin joining them in the New Year. They hoped they would be able to get settled in with only a skeleton staff since it was the holidays. Neither of them had much, if any, family so it seemed like a good way to ease into their new life.

After their afternoon tryst, they continued preparing for the party that night and as Theo kissed away a smudge of chocolate from the corner of Hermione’s mouth after she licked a spatula, she felt that giddy dizziness that only accompanied his touch. For once, Hermione wasn’t bored in a relationship and had only freaked out for a day when he’d asked her if she was still seeing other people because he wasn’t. She’d bought him a dresser for his things at her place as an apology and they hadn’t emerged from her house for 72 hours, both of them getting Devin to push their respective schedules back a day, despite her assistant’s huffing.

Their lives had blended rather effortlessly. Pansy and Hermione started a tradition of always getting ready for parties together and sometimes they even convinced Ginny to join them though Harry steadfastly refused any Sacred Twenty-Eight gatherings. He would drink in Hermione’s kitchen while they got ready, playing cards with Theo, Blaise and occasionally Draco while they ignored the laughter and conspiratorial conversation from the women upstairs. The next gathering and every event they had gone to since, trays of drinks were found on the tables. Hermione Granger had changed Sacred Twenty-Eight history.

The standing brunches at the Potter’s were still going as well, Ron and Fay joining them more often than not. Like Hermione with Fay, Theo was the first person Hermione had dated since their breakup that Ron liked. Ron had told Hermione in the kitchen when they were attempting waffles from scratch that the way Theo treated her was how he’d wanted to when they were together but his jealousy always got in the way. He’d smiled at her and she’d hugged him to say thank you.

Theo had weekly drinks with Ron and Fay when they went to Malfoy’s club, often drinking with the man himself, Blaise and sometimes Pansy. Hermione still refused to go, of course.

As she watched Theo move around her kitchen and make mulled wine, she noticed the way he kept glancing at her. She suggestively licked cream from the tip of her piping bag and his eyes darkened as he pulled her to him, kissing the cream out of her mouth before going to stir the wine again. She sighed, reminiscing about the happiness she’d found with Theo in her life.

She had often thought about what Ginny had told her the day of the Transit, how she’d been relieved she could trust her instincts. And Hermione trusted hers, too. She thought there was something wrong with her real runes. She knew she had made a good choice to not pursue what they hinted at. And… she loved Theo. It squeezed at her every day when she woke up with him in her bed, his pride when he discovered some new power she had mastered, the way he could never look away for too long like he was making sure she was real. However, there was one thing that ate at her and made her feel guilty.

Malfoy. He was fine usually, essentially ignoring her which was infinitely better than the other times. They were few, but every so often he needed to do something to make her deeply uncomfortable. The bathroom was the first time.

A month or so later, Theo had managed to convince Malfoy to remove the dirty illustration of her, but he only agreed if she would meet with a photographer for a real photo. After confirming with her, making the logical argument it was better than that awful drawing, Theo had told him the photographer had five minutes.

Hermione had arrived at the studio only to be surprised by Draco fiddling with a camera.

“You’re not a photographer, Malfoy,” she’d accused, crossing her arms over her chest.

“I have a camera and am very good at pressing buttons,” he’d replied without even looking at her. “What else do I need to be a photographer?” He already brought the camera up and snapped a picture before she could even blink.

He’d frowned, “Hmm, not your best, Granger. You look ready to tear someone’s head off. I need you to be intoxicating, like the cocktail. You think you can do sultry?” He’d raised his head by that time, smirk and raised eyebrow in place.

“Not for you,” she’d snorted.

“Then stand over there where the lighting is best and do what the Ministry taught you so they could whore you out,” he’d drawled at her, indicating a place where there was light and shadow enough for a dynamic photo.

She’d rolled her eyes and stomped over, pausing before she assumed the perfectly practiced smile, eyes crinkling but sparking with annoyance. He snapped pictures while she turned in the angles the Media Liaison office had taught her were best.

They were nearing the end of the five minutes and she dropped the pose and the smile. “Are we done?” Malfoy just nodded at her. She’d already begun walking away.

“Hey, Granger,” she’d turned impatiently her expression annoyed and bored. “What’s Theo’s come taste like?” She’d gasped, flushing, eyes wide, her mouth open as he snapped a final picture.

“That’s the one,” he’d purred. “Perfectly scandalised with ‘Malfoy, how DARE you!’ ready on your tongue. This isn’t just going up in the club, I’m going to frame it and keep it by my bed.” He was laughing as she’d stormed out.

Next he’d run into her when she was trying to tag a smuggler in Dover. It was a hot day so Hermione had been wearing her denim shorts, wand harness on her thigh and her knee-height bounty hunter boots, spelled to be flat since she had to move quickly.

He’d looked her up and down with a hint of a sneer, just the slightest amount of distaste showing before he pointed out her left boot was tied incorrectly. She’d tried to wave a spell at them but he had rebuffed it, sweeping her leg upwards while kneeling in front of her as he manipulated her into a park bench.

Bracing her foot on his chest, he had manually undone the entire lace, despite her protest that the boots had zips anyway so it didn’t matter.

By the time he was rethreading the shoe, she had stopped talking, just watching his hand as it elegantly looped the aglets through the many eyelets. His other hand at the top of the boot resting on her calf, pointer finger occasionally brushing the underside of her knee. It tingled like danger and she’d studied him trying to figure out what this game was. He was smirking like her silence was a victory.

She remembered asking him if he would be seeing Theo and the rest of them for drinks at his club that night as he gently secured the bow at the top, lacing completed. He’d just raised an eyebrow and Apparated away.

The next time had been when she was due to speak for his parents at the monthly antiquity benefit. She had been pacing in her gown in an antechamber off the stage, practicing her speech about this month’s restoration subject. She had been nervous doing this without Theo to support her like usual, he was on a business trip for Prewett & Prewett.

Malfoy had slipped in an half hour before her speech was meant to begin.

“Mother says you’re in a right state, I see she wasn’t wrong,” his eyes swept over her tense shoulders and pursed lips.

She started pacing again. “I’m not used to speaking to this kind of crowd yet, half Ministerial, half social elite. I know my tone hasn’t quite landed with everyone. I’m either too austere or too passionate,” she almost ran a hand through her hair but stopped when she remembered the effort Pansy had put into it that afternoon before begging off attending saying she’d like to die from something more exciting than boredom.

“You’ll have to master this before Italy,” he was leaning on the back of an armchair watching her, taking in her form in the navy gown. “Can’t have a bumbling ambassador stammering her way through her representation of Britain.”

She’d flushed. That was exactly what she was afraid of. She’d tried elocution lessons but hated the hypocrisy of being told to soften her hard ‘c’s and ‘k’s by someone with a fake French accent.

“Stop pacing,” he’d instructed but she’d scowled at him. He’d stalked over to her with an annoyed expression. He grabbed her arm as she carved her path.

“Take your hand off me, Malfoy.” she’d growled at him, trying to wrench herself away.

“No, you will stand there and I will teach you, Granger,” his grip had firmed on her forearm, pulling her a little off balance to stand directly in front of him.

She’d huffed but took in the command he had of his own posture, he clearly knew what he was talking about.

He’d touched her shoulders applying gentle pressure to press them down from where they were bunched up. She stepped back.

“Can’t you use magic to direct me?” she’d eyed him warily as he prowled around her. She knew these encounters or whatever you called them were wrong, there was an insidiousness in them. Even if they seemed innocuous enough on the surface.

She also somehow knew that these small transgressions allowed Theo to remain close to him, for she and Malfoy to have civil yet distant social relations and contribute to the entire group being as friendly as they were.

She’d been able to feel his breath on her neck when he next spoke, “You won’t remember wand direction. However, if your skin is burning from where I touch, you definitely will.” She’d swallowed, he was right. “It feels so close to cheating, doesn’t it Granger?”

She’d scoffed, trying to bluff. “Harry, Ron and even Blaise touch me more intimately than this.”

“But they’re not me,” Malfoy’s voice was uncharacteristically warm with amusement and she stiffened again. His fingers were on her shoulders again, pressing with more insistence this time.

He’d come to stand to her left. His fingers had left a tingling brand on her bare shoulders. He’d lifted his index finger to stroke the underside of her chin.

“Hold your tongue to the roof of your mouth when it’s closed, it gives you a stronger jawline. And keep your tilt perpendicular to the floor, only the weak dip their heads,” she’d done as he asked. He’d made an approving noise in his throat.

Then he’d lightly stroked down her back, her spine straightening to jump away from him, leaving the same prickling that lay on her shoulders and under her chin. He’d chuckled.

“Don’t breathe so hard, Granger. It’s unbecoming of a dignitary.” His chastisement stilled her heaving lungs. She closed her eyes and concentrated on smaller, restrained intakes of air.

She flinched when his hand came from behind her and closed over her throat, a pinky finger stroking the thin skin next to her oesophagus, so easily able to squeeze, his hands large against her. Her eyes flew open and she stretched her neck, head taller and shoulders pressed as far down as they could go in an effort to get away from the threat.

“Very good,” he’d hummed at her, removing himself. It was like he’d said, her skin felt like it was on fire, recognising the danger again.

“A-are you helping me just so you can touch me?” Her tongue had tripped over the sentence as she’d unstuck it from the roof of her mouth.

“Helping _you_? Hardly.” He’d placed a flat hand on one hip and stroked the other where it was cocked, she’d twitched away from him and centring her weight vertically. “I’m trying to make sure my parents aren’t embarrassed for the fifth month in a row.”

She’d rolled her eyes.

“You know your runes start lower than most I’ve seen, Granger. Why is that?” She was silent so he continued. “Yours start there, before you starting hiding them,” and he’d pointed to where she’d had placed her first rune when she sometimes wore them, the charm wouldn’t work over the real ones. “But I know they usually start here.” His hand had grazed right under where her breast was and she pulled back ever so slightly, feeling better aligned. She’d been overcorrecting her angle forwards in the heels.

“So, what is it you’re hiding?” he’d brought his eyeline to hers, a tilt to his head. “Maybe I should use my spell on you.”

“It wouldn’t work,” she’d retorted. “It only removes what has been added.”

He’d smirked again. “And how would you know that?”

“Theo told me about it, we used it so I could feel it’s magic. I wanted to know how it worked. Quite clever really, Malfoy.”

He quirked his mouth arrogantly at the compliment. “And who’s name did you scribe on yourself? Potter? Blaise?”

“It was Pansy actually. That’s who I’d choose if I couldn’t have Theo,” she let her sincerity settle on the room.

“You should invite her to join the two of you, I’m sure she’d be amenable to it.” He’d started circling her again, making sure she didn’t undo his work.

Hermione sighed wistfully. “Oh, I know… If only Theo had said yes.”

Malfoy searched her eyes for lies. She gave him a teasing smile.

“Nice try. If that were true, Pansy would look at you like Theo does, like ice cream melting in the sun. Making themselves all sweet and gooey for you,” he’d grimaced like it was abhorrent to him. “Now let’s hear your speech.”

He’d corrected the way she talked next. “Speak slower, people come to hear your voice, let them savour it. Rest your eyes on people during your pauses, make them feel seen, special. They’ll give you anything if you do.”

He was behind her again. He placed his left hand over her heart, the flat of his palm near swell of her breast. “You need to stop speaking from here and instead speak from here,” his words had ghosted over her ear, his other hand had wound its way onto her stomach, lightly tapping against it with a forefinger.

She’d practiced until he nodded satisfied. “Onto your next flaw.”

“Oh, what now?” she’d exclaimed. “Do you have a problem with everything about me?”

“Yes,” he’d stated, taking one of her wildly gesticulating hands and turning the spikes of her fingers into a soft flourish. “You’re all wrong, Granger. Every little bit of you.” He extended her arm in a sweeping gesture, it was slow and deliberate instead of her fitful passion.

“It’s amazing you let me anywhere near Theo then.” She’d winced at the petulance in her voice.

“I often wonder if I shouldn’t. Your wrongness thrums through people, discordant with their own, rattling them. It makes them feel right, even when they shouldn’t. You’re a danger to society.” He was moving her hands in ways she knew did when she was excited but turning them into charming gestures. Instead of crashing waves, he’d shown her how to make them into laps at the shore.

She watched him, teaching her how to move her hands like a lady. “Careful, Malfoy. That was almost a compliment.”

“I assure you it was not.” His reply was quick and succinct. “I think that will have to do. The rest is most likely a lost cause.”

She gritted her jaw until he tapped the back of a finger against it as a reprimand.

Her skin was buzzing everywhere he had touched as if they’d been using her _Desiderium_.

“This will fade by the time I get out there,” she’d pouted, annoyingly admitting he was affecting her in the way he’d said he would.

“It will come back if I stand where you can see me in the wings and stare at you in that way you hate.” And he’d been staring at her like that already as he backed towards the door. His lip in the very beginning of a sneer, his eyes burning at her to run, fall, become trapped and be destroyed by him. He was right, she hated it. She glared at him until he was out the door.

That had only been two weeks ago, now it was Christmas Eve. Theo had seemed a little perturbed by Malfoy’s behaviour at the benefit and been quiet for a few days afterwards. He’d been glad she told him though. And now after a mind-blowing afternoon of being wrapped up in each other, she and Theo were preparing a party for all their friends before they left the next day.

People started arriving at 7pm, Ginny and Harry arrived first. Then Pansy followed quickly by Ron and Fay. Neville joined them that evening and Hermione smiled as Pansy tugged on her arm.

“You didn’t tell me he looked like that!” she hissed under her breath.

Hermione whispered back, “Actually, I remember Ginny and I spent a good hour trying to tell you… we gave glowing recommendations from previous girlfriends, we even re-enacted exactly how glowing those reviews were from what we’d heard in the dorms Eighth Year. It’s not our fault you didn’t believe us.”

“Witch, you didn’t do good enough,” Pansy faux-snarled at her, booping Hermione on the nose.

She sauntered over to Neville and grinned coquettishly at how he flushed at her approach, her effect on him immediate.

“She shouldn’t have fought what the runes were telling her for so long,” Ginny leaned against the kitchen bench next to Hermione.

“Well, it’s finally done now,” Hermione gave her friend a quick smile, watching Ron, Fay and Harry chatting on the couch past her.

“Is this everyone? Could Luna make it?” Ginny asked her, sneaking a dollop of whipped cream from a brandy snap.

“Still waiting on Blaise and Malfoy. Luna never replied. Her father said she’s chasing her soulmate around Europe. Rolf Scamander is a hard man to track down,” Hermione swatted at Ginny’s hand playfully.

Then the door rang and Theo went downstairs to open the door. Masculine voices drifted to the upper landing.

“Don’t you think it’s a bad idea seeing Malfoy after what he did at the benefit?” Ginny kept her voice low.

“He was helping me,” Hermione dismissed Ginny’s concern.

The witch scoffed, turning to watch Neville shake hands with Blaise and then Malfoy. Pansy was paying a lot of attention to how Neville interacted with the other wizards.

“That was not helping you, that was giving himself an excuse to unnerve and touch you… again.” Ginny rolled her eyes.

Hermione had told Ginny and Harry everything that had happened in her encounters with Malfoy. She had also told Theo but slightly more sanitised versions. She wanted to be honest but didn’t want them to fall out again.

The new arrivals had moved to the kitchen to deposit their whisky and a bottle of champagne from Malfoy’s club.

“My favourite libertines,” Ginny indulged them, hugging each of them. Blaise caught a kiss to the corner of her mouth. “Oh, Blaise. Ever going a step too far,” she tapped his cheek twice and stepped away and went to torture Pansy and Neville with innuendo.

“You finally got Longbottom here,” Blaise leaned next to Hermione.

“He can’t really leave Hogwarts, except for the holidays. He’s house sitting my place until he goes back and I’m letting him stay here in the summer holidays, too. Pansy will be fucking in my bed in no time,” she gave a grinning Blaise a sly smirk.

She drew a tray from the fridge. “Pickled Jelly Slug?” she offered them.

“How delightfully Christmassy,” Draco’s sarcastic reply didn’t stop him taking one of the alcohol laced sweets.

Theo came into the kitchen then, kissing Hermione on her jaw through curls as he took the tray from her.

“You’ve been fussing in here for too long sweetness, let me take over. Go save Pansy and poor Neville from Ginny,” Hermione followed his look to where Neville was blushing and Ginny was making obscene hand gestures, clearly up to no good.

“You’re right, wow Ginny couldn’t hold it together for five minutes,” she grumbled, she started to walk away but just before she was out of reach, Theo grabbed her hand and twirled her into him, stroking her face before kissing her leaving stars dancing in her eyes.

“We’re still here, you know,” Blaise said, plucking two Jelly Slugs and stuffing them in his mouth. “I hope this chokes me,” he joked, swallowing them whole making a moue of disappointment when his death wasn’t imminent.

“Since Malfoy taught me the correct way to give a speech, Theo has been teaching me to dance.” Hermione uttered breathlessly and Theo gently released her to go to stop Ginny. "Though I'll never improve if you make me dizzy every time." She smiled at Theo and was allowed to walk away this time.

Hermione heard Malfoy’s chuckling voice say, “So she told you, huh?” but she had moved away before hearing what Theo replied. Since she didn’t hear yelling, she figured it was fine.

“Ginny, could you help Theo in the kitchen, the mulled wine needs your magic touch,” Hermione tried to push Ginny towards the kitchen, but the witch grounded herself, pushing back on Hermione’s hands.

“What needs a magic touch is-”

“Kitchen, Ginny. Now, please,” Hermione insisted with an exasperated look and Ginny huffed off going to tease the rest of the Slytherins instead.

“Sorry,” Hermione gave Pansy and Neville a sympathetic look.

Neville laughed, a deep rumbling sound and Pansy jumped a little, eyes widening and she bit her lip.

“No worries, Hermione,” Neville reassured her. “Ginny’s always been like that, it’s hard for her to embarrass me too much anymore.”

Hermione gave him a smile and they chatted for about twenty minutes before the timer went off. “Dinner’s ready, let’s sit down.”

The meal was delicious and chaotic. Ginny had ‘sneezed’ while eating a brandy snap, blowing whipped cream all over Harry which made him take a handful of Pickled Jelly Slugs and shove them down the back of her tight dress making her yelp and dance around trying to dislodge them yelling, “Ew, ew, ew, ew, ew!”

Hermione was leaning on Theo clutching her stomach as the entire table laughed at the spectacle. Then the doorbell rang.

Everyone stopped and there was a squelching plop as the last Jelly Slug exited the bottom of Ginny’s outfit.

Hermione gave Theo a confused look but went to answer the door, Fay asking Ron who else they were expecting.

Hermione opened the door to see an elfin blonde standing on her steps. “Oh my gods, Luna! I’m so happy to see you!”

She wrapped her friend in a hug. “Hello, Hermione,” Luna’s ethereal voice wafted over her, returning the hug. The witch had gained a bit of a cult following over the years, her large eyes, waif-like form and her unorthodox but fascinating view of life giving her fans all over Europe.

“Come on up! We’re just having dessert but there are loads of leftovers.” Hermione was dragging her friend up the stairs and she felt an unusual resistance in her.

Reaching the landing, pulling Luna with her, she met an unusual sight. The dinner table was silent. Ginny looked at Hermione with a strange wariness, Harry, Ron and Fay were all looking at Theo oddly. Blaise was looking away, while Malfoy watched Hermione closely. Theo had a dark countenance, exhaling loudly at the sight of Luna. Hermione drew her brows together, bewildered. Most worryingly, Pansy was sitting beside Neville grinning with dancing eyes. Hermione knew that look, scandal was going to break out.

“Theodore,” Luna stated, nodding her head at him.

“I told you not to come here, Luna,” Theo said, his voice grating through gritted teeth.

“No, you told me it was a bad idea to come. You didn’t say not to,” Luna’s airy voice lilted.

Hermione turned her head from Luna to Theo, blinking. Pansy giggled, never a good sign.

Obviously, something was going on between them or used to go on between them.

“Woah, really?” Ginny breathed. “You two? You were together?”

“Only for four years, on and off.” Luna’s reply echoed around the room.

Ginny gaped, Hermione looked to Theo but how angry he looked only confirmed it. A dread sunk in her. She asked the question she knew she didn’t want the answer to. “When did you break up?”

“When the special edition of the _Prophet_ came out the morning of the Transit,” Luna tilted her head at Theo. “Right? You sent me an owl.”

There was silence. It was so loud.

“Best. Christmas. Ever!” Pansy clapped while Neville tried to hush her.

“Oh, um… do you two need to chat?” Hermione asked.

“Thank you, Hermione. I’d like to talk to both of you. About a contingency plan in case I can’t find Mr. Scamander, I have been rather unsuccessful so far.” Luna had not taken her blue eyes off Theo.

Pansy poured herself more wine, loving this. Hermione’s brain was firing at a million miles an hour.

Luna had just implied that Theo had dumped her in order to chase Hermione after seeing his name on her. Luna had also intimated that Theo was another soulmate of hers.

Hermione was schooling her emotions and keeping her face curious but carefully devoid of anything else. Inside she felt sick and guilty. She hated her own hypocrisy. This wouldn’t have even happened if she hadn’t lied to her friends about her real runes. It was her fault.

But she’d been sure Theo was single, they had seen Luna almost every month when they met up at the lectures. She hadn’t noticed anything between them. Or maybe she’d been too busy flirting with Theo to notice. That must have been awful for Luna. Her guilt clenched even harder.

She turned to her friend and whispered. “Luna, I am so sorry.”

It was still so quiet that the enthralled table heard her. A bunch of baffled looks sequenced throughout the room.

Luna just smiled at her. “You have nothing to be sorry for Hermione, really.”

Hermione tried to reassure her, “I, um- I told Theo when we first started dating that any other soulmate’s who came forward he should try help them-”

“Hermione, no.” Theo’s voice cut through the room and everyone turned to look at him. Acid poured through Hermione and she paled at how hateful he sounded.

“Thank you, Hermione for understanding,” Luna touched her arm making Hermione jump. “It’s only Theodore or Mr. Scamander, you see and-”

“It’s _not_ happening, Luna!” Theo shouted, standing up. “And we were off at that time. I was just making sure it stayed off forever.”

Hermione had no idea what to think. She felt like everything had been a lie. She scrunched up her face. Everything _had_ been a lie. Her lie. Her stupid, stupid lie.

“Theo,” she swallowed, hating how hurt she sounded. She took a calming breath. “We can help Luna, I won’t let-.”

“Hermione, I refuse to cheat on you with her,” Theo was trying for calm but he was shaking.

“I don’t care!” Hermione yelled, clutching Luna’s hand, panicking. “You’d be OK with another threesome, right Luna? Like we did before?”

She’d kind of forgotten everyone else was there until she heard Neville clear his throat and Pansy gasp out a laugh, Ginny making a weird groan, looking at her brother. Ron awkwardly coughed at the memory.

“That would be lovely, Hermione, thank you,” Luna was unaffected as per usual.

Theo was looking between them, brow furrowed and mouth opening and closing in confusion. He settled back in his chair and rubbed his face with his hands. “Fuck.”

There was another beat of silence then Pansy stood up and came over to Hermione and Luna, offering the latter her hand. “Luna is it?” she said as if the woman’s name hadn’t been uttered fifty million times this evening already and Hermione was sure Pansy already knew it. Luna’s slim hand was pulled into Pansy’s grasp. “I just want to thank you for giving me the best night of my life.”

“That’s not the first time I’ve heard that, you’re welcome,” Luna replied, sliding her eyes to Hermione.

Hermione couldn’t help it, a high-pitched laugh escaping from her. She’d been the one to say that all those years ago.

“Mione, you OK?” Harry’s face was strained and so painfully awkward.

“Sorry, sorry. It’s really not funny,” Hermione said, covering her mouth with a hand. Ginny let out a laugh too before waving her hands as if she agreed that it really wasn’t funny. Luna’s sprinkling giggle joined Pansy’s. Hermione’s hand was shaking from the vibration coming from Luna. Hermione let out another snort, her lips wobbling with the effort of keeping it in.

Ginny came over and hugged Luna. She was laughing as she tried to speak, “It’s so good to see you, Luna. This is just awful. Terrible, really. It’s so, so not funny.”

The four women let out shrieking cackles. The others at the table looking nervous and baffled, except for Malfoy who was just watching the scenario play out.

“It really isn’t,” Pansy gasped, clutching her side biting out words through peals of laughter. “It’s not funny at all. Hermione, you must be so upset!”

“I am. I feel horrible!” Hermione grabbed her cheeks, rubbing them, sore from laughing. “I’m really sorry I stole your boyfriend, Luna. And for flirting with him for years in front of you.” She was crying she was laughing so hard.

Luna was paddling the air as if trying to flick away the giggles. “Yes, really quite horrendous of you, Hermione. I’m so very mad at you.”

“I can’t breathe, I can’t breathe!” Ginny panted out through tears, collapsing on the ground hugging her ribs. “Ow, ow, ow, fuck. Please, it’s so not funny.”

Pansy pulled Luna to the table, “Come on, Lovegood. Let’s get you a drink. Join us.”

Luna was given a wine and was seated beside Pansy. Ginny crawled back to her seat and Hermione went to Theo who had relocated nervously to the kitchen. Conversation resumed as Neville engaged Luna and Pansy in conversation easing normalcy back into the gathering. Ginny peppering Luna with questions. Pansy helping to wring out salacious details.

Theo was still and tense beside her, ripping up a serviette nervously. He flinched when she touched him, leaning in. “Are you alright?” she asked.

“Have I ruined everything?” he asked her in a despondent voice.

“Have you?” she returned the question. She didn’t know the particulars of their relationship and didn’t really want to assume. Theo just blinked at her.

“I’m not perfect either,” she whispered.

Theo put his hand on her ribs, running a thumb over where her real runes were. “I know.”

Hermione froze. A creeping horror crawled over her. She knew she’d had to tell him sometime but had no idea how he’d react. But he knew. She wondered for how long. He saw it on her face.

“After you told me what he did at the benefit, then you launched into an impassioned lecture about your research into breaking the curse. I wondered why those two things were so connected in your mind. I waited until you were asleep.” He looked ashamed for performing a spell on her without her consent, cheeks colouring. He looked at her with pleading eyes, begging her to understand.

“That’s why I was a bit off that week. I was trying to process before I talked to you. The more I thought about it though... you chose me. You chose me over him, over destiny, over the possibility of your own death. It made me fall for you even more. I just want you to keep choosing me.” His voice was so quiet and low on her ear but the chaos around her seemed muted by comparison. “I’m sorry.”

Hermione felt such a wave of relief she clutched at her chest. His reaction was more than she could possibly have hoped for, more than she deserved certainly. She looked at him and saw everything she’d come to love in the last few months. His green eyes adoring and warm, silently imploring her to forgive him when it was she who had committed such a breach of trust.

“No, I’m sorry,” her voice was soft and she reached up to cup his jaw in her palm. She leaned in and gave him a gentle kiss to let him know it was OK, seeking forgiveness herself. “Let’s have an honest discussion about it all a bit later.”

He leaned his forehead on hers in relief and then they resumed their attention on the rest of the party. Hermione just caught both Harry and Malfoy watching them curiously from the dinner table before Draco turned away and Harry raised an eyebrow to see if she was OK. She nodded. Hermione led Theo back to their seats.

Luna was talking to Pansy. “Oh, Neville is your soulmate? He attracts a lot of Wrackspurts, it makes him a very passionate and attentive lover. You will enjoy him.” Neville had flushed and was stammering. Evidently he wasn’t quite as used to Luna’s straightforwardness as he was Ginny’s teasing.

Pansy grinned and ran her tongue over a canine, toasting Hermione. “My life became infinitely grander with you in it, Granger. Have a fabulous time in Italy and keep a suite at the embassy open for me.” Hermione smiled at her, very happy to have befriended the woman. They clinked glasses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter, more transgressions, more flaws. No one's perfect, some less so than others.
> 
> Thank you very much for reading. I love all your comments and kudos.
> 
> Next update will be on 28/2 NZT.


	7. Perfect

**Chapter Seven: Perfect**

Despite the awkwardness of Luna’s arrival, the party ended up being fun with everyone drinking and laughing, playing games and chatting. Theo and Luna kept their distance from each other, but the atmosphere was bright with good times.

Hermione had stumbled her way into the kitchen. She was feeling decidedly tipsy and as she looked around the lounge at all her friends they seemed to be in a similar state.

Her eyes began misting over as her heart thumped at how much she would miss this, being able to see everyone at once, enjoying their company. Sure, they would come visit in Italy and Hermione would be back every month, but it wouldn’t be the same.

She smiled a little sadly and touched a finger to the corner of her eye, swiping at the mistiness there.

Malfoy stood on the other side of the bench, leaning on it, topping up his whisky. “You OK?”

“You care?” she laughed.

“I’m hoping you’ll answer in the negative. It pleases me when you feel like shit.” He took a sip of his whisky. There it was, his unpleasantness quota met. She pushed away the alcohol-induced feeling of being viewed as lesser by him.

“I’m just going to miss all of you,” Hermione sighed feeling a strange nostalgia for the present moment.

She brought her gaze from the party to the man in front of her. He looked slightly shocked and dropped his eyes when she met them.

She leaned on the bench too, stealing the tumbler out of his hands and taking a sip before giving it back.

He let out a breath and stared at the whisky, rotating the glass. They shared silence for a little bit while Hermione watched her friends interact with loud voices and wild gestures.

“I wasn’t aware you had been acquainted with Theo before the Transit,” he sipped his whisky, a faint transfer of Hermione’s lipstick adhering to his lips.

“I met him at one of Luna’s father’s talks actually. Wow, that’s really awkward. It was about three years ago. We’ve been to them monthly ever since. I thought it was a lost cause though, you have no idea how many times I asked him out. He never took me up on it until he saw his name on me.” She averted her eyes from him at how desperate it sounded that she’d been asking Theo out for three years without him ever accepting.

They lapsed in silence again. Hermione sipped her champagne, looking at the rest of the party, savouring the moment.

“Can I come visit you in Italy?” Draco shook her out of her reverie. For once he was slow and quiet. She gave him a sad smile.

“This must be harder on you than you’re letting on I guess,” to which he nodded. “Ages ago when you and Theo were fighting, he told me that had been the longest you’d gone without talking since the war. He told me what you did for him then. It was very brave of you.” She traced an idle pattern on the countertop.

“Oh yes, I’ll miss Theo just so much,” he said with a roll of his eyes.

“You know you will,” she said but he just looked at her like she was missing something. Like a screw loose, maybe. She sighed again, tracing a chip in the tile, the alcohol making unbidden words float out of her. “I wish you liked me more, or at least respected me enough not play games designed to make me feel inferior.” She frowned at the white fleck in the gray slate. Six months on and she still felt a nervous upset in her stomach at the thought of sleeping with Malfoy. Even if it did save her life, bile rose every time. She would try every other way, but if those didn’t work… she didn’t know what she’d do.

“Why did you forgive Theo so easily tonight?” Malfoy changed the subject to avoid responding directly to her.

Hermione flicked her eyes to him. He looked out her kitchen window, odium on his lips, eyes hard and dark. She suddenly understood and her heart sunk further.

“You got Luna to come here tonight. You knew Theo had told her not to,” she didn’t even need his huffed exhalation to know it was true. He’d wanted to break them up, manipulating the situation yet again to get Theo away from her.

“Why did you forgive him?” Draco wasn’t relenting.

She looked down again. “I told him I’m not perfect either. It would be hypocritical of me to not forgive him.”

He growled at her, tossing his drink back and pouring another. “Of course you’re fucking perfect, Granger. That’s why you’re all wrong. I hate it,” he spat the words, an ugly sneer on his face, narrowing his eyes out the window.

“You certainly thought I had a lot of flaws last time we were alone,” she snapped at him.

He met her eyes and swept a hand out, flicking the words away like he was batting an insect. “Social frippery aimed to contain your perfection in bland actions and blander graces. You’re such an idiot.”

“You hate that I’m perfect?”

“Infinitely. Golden Girl Granger who has the whole world dripping for her. If you weren’t perfect maybe then there would be a chance-” he cut himself off.

Hermione wasn’t ready to let that go though. “A chance for what, Draco?”

His nostrils flared at her using his name like he hated it. “A chance I could stand being around you, that your presence wouldn’t be so infuriating to me.” He was livid, his eyes as tense and hard as flintstone, his voice sparking with disgust.

Damn, she was too inebriated for this. Despite herself, now that she was with Theo, she desperately wanted the approval of his only family. Unfortunately, that included Draco though she thought Lucius and Narcissa had warmed to her. She bit her lip to keep it from wobbling at the insult. “I’m sorry I disappoint you so much. I really am envious that everyone else gets to enjoy your friendship. I wish I could see you smile at me just once in a way that wasn’t at my expense.” Her eyes were blurry again and she kept them open and staring at the fleck in the bench so the tears wouldn’t fall.

“Another perfect fucking answer, Granger. I’ll see you in Rome.” He pushed away and went to Theo. His demeanour changed entirely as he smiled and clapped his friend on the back wishing him luck. Blaise scurried away from where he’d been flirting with Ginny and Harry, promising Theo he’d see him tomorrow before they took the Portkey to Italy and gave Hermione a quick wave before bounding down the stairs after Malfoy.

Ginny came to the kitchen. “Oh Mione, was he awful to you again?” Hermione nodded and screwed her eyes up, letting the tears fall and wiped them away angrily.

Her friend leaned on the counter. “What’s changed? You never gave a flying fuck what that prat thought before.”

Hermione swiped more tears, annoyed at herself. She knew Ginny was right. “It’s because of Theo. Draco is kind of his brother and he hates me. Theo has been accepted by my family, I feel like I’m failing him every time I don’t get on with Malfoy.”

“Hm,” Ginny drummed her fingers over her cheek as she leant on her elbow. “I think you should go back to being annoyed and disdainful of his behaviour rather than upset. If you got what you wanted, you’d have a much bigger problem on your hands.”

“What do you mean?” Hermione blinked confusedly at Ginny. The woman just shrugged and pushed off, beckoning Hermione back to the rest of their friends.

She downed the rest of the whisky Malfoy had left in his glass. She exhaled and shook herself out of it, putting on a smile and rejoining the party.

* * *

When they had managed to wrangle a very drunk Ginny and Harry into the spare room to sleep, Theo and Hermione collapsed in their own bed. Neville had disappeared with Pansy and wouldn’t be needing the room tonight.

Hermione handed Theo a Pepper-Up Potion to sober them up.

“You want to do this now?” he took the vial from her.

She nodded. “Just in case, before the Portkey.” Theo swallowed, nervous at the implication.

They drank the potion and she leaned forward to kiss Theo while they waited for it to take effect. She lazily drew her tongue against his, running her hand through his dark waves before curling her hands around his neck. His arm around his waist pulling her close to him and her heart jumped like it always did and she sighed. He inhaled it like her pleasure sustained him and deepened the kiss, laziness turning into need and heat. His hand trailed up her body, but she pulled back just before he reached to stroke across her breast.

“What’s wrong?” His voice was hoarse with lust.

“I don’t think we should speak in an afterglow either. We need to be clear with each other.”

Even though he quirked the corner of his mouth in disappointment, he nodded.

So they waited the remaining minutes for the Pepper-Up, just looking into each other’s eyes. Despite her best efforts, Hermione was thrumming with a welling of love for him. She revelled in the way he studied her face, eyes resting on different parts as he memorised her. His eyes slid down the slope of her nose and he gave a small smile, he sighed looking at her lips. He swallowed as she blinked slowly at him. He gave a shaky breath as he stroked gentle fingers across her cheek. It took her everything she had not to melt into him.

Finally she felt the last of the alcohol leave her. “Can I start?” Theo nodded. Her apology rushed out of her. “I’m so sorry I deceived you. The morning of the Transit, I saw the runes, those awful gold, sparkling runes and the first thing I did was curse.”

“How badly?” he chuckled at her.

“I think I said something about fucking a duck.” She smiled at his surprised laugh. “I got back in bed and set a timer and broke down completely. Crying, screaming, the whole thing. I gave myself three minutes and then I got on with life. I had to meet Harry and everyone for breakfast and I had a plan just in case.”

“Why just in case? Did you expect to have Draco’s name on you?” Theo tilted his head.

“Merlin, no! There were no details about what kind of love would show up for a soulmate and I thought maybe Harry’s name would turn up and Ginny used to be jealous of us, of how close we are. I had made the plan for her.” Theo nodded to show he followed and for her to continue.

“Of course, though I saw him often enough at various things, I hadn’t talked to Malfoy much since school, but he’d gone out of his way to be perfectly hideous to me every time I had. Even worse than school really, at least the latter half. Like he’d perfected how to get to me until I got used to it. So I covered up his name and added yours, Ron’s and Oliver’s.”

“Why us?” Theo asked.

Hermione quirked her mouth. “Well, Ron was obvious, that’s what people thought they would see. Oliver and I had been flirty when I worked with him, I’d talked about him to Ginny and Harry before. Yours were for similar reasons, pretty much all my friends had known about my crush on you for years.”

Theo smiled at her and kissed her softly. “Don’t worry, I had a crush on you the whole time as well.” The sentiment was clouded by the fact that he had been in a relationship with Luna for quite a bit of that. “Anyway, keep going,” Theo told her, sensing her hesitancy.

“I never meant for anyone other than Ginny, Harry, Ron and Fay to see the fake runes. But I wanted to make sure the gold runes hadn’t somehow unglamoured so I checked before ringing the doorbell at Grimmauld Place. I didn’t see the reporter there. It’s illegal for them to use Disillusionment charms, but this one must have been under one. And then you found me later that day and here we are.” She smiled and he kissed the tip of her nose.

“So please don’t tell any of them, but especially not Harry. He will try and force me to sleep with Draco and he will badger me with a million different plans until it’s done to make sure I don’t die. I’m sure we can find a way to dissolve the spell so he never has to know.”

Theo searched her eyes carefully but he must have found what he was looking for because he smiled. “I won’t, we’ll break the curse together. Or since people have been getting new runes as more twenty-one-year-olds come through, maybe you will have a new name before the eight years are up who we could work something out with.”

“So far no one with gold runes has reported that. Everyone with gold only has one rune set and no silver. But you’re right. I’ve wondered about why the runes name who they do. Maybe it’s just sexual compatibility. Maybe it’s solely for fertility, I’m not sure. I intend to find out in Italy.”

Theo absorbed the information and brought his gaze to her again, finally asking what he’d always wanted to. “So, you and Draco… What’s the deal? And please be honest, don’t try to spare my feelings sweetness.”

Hermione blinked in confusion. “There’s no deal between us. I haven’t told him. I hope _you_ haven’t told him, either.”

“Oh Salazar, absolutely not.” Theo shook his head. “I meant how you feel about him. Do you feel an attraction there? Do you- Should we talk about whether you should sleep with him? I- I really can’t lose you in eight years.”

Hermione thought about it again. She imagined asking Draco if he would have sex with her so she wouldn’t die in less than a decade. She could see his lip curled in distaste before it would dawn on him how much he’d be able to debase her if he did. He’d have so much control, be able to dictate so much with the threat of her death hanging over her. She thought about him using what he knew to arouse her, mocking her for it, humiliating and shaming her. The crawling despair she would feel as her body betrayed her, desire building as he pummeled into her laughing. Her cheeks would burn in mortification, she’d hate herself and never feel clean again.

She felt sick.

Theo saw the change in her and looked worried, waiting for her to explain. She took a calming breath.

“Objectively, he’s attractive, sure. But every time I think about him and what it would be like, I feel repulsive. He likes to make me uncomfortable, embarrassed and lesser and it’s like he wants me to hate myself. He told me tonight that I was perfect and that he despised it, maybe that’s why he loathes me. So whenever I think about us sleeping together and him using that opportunity to further humiliate me, I feel sick. I’d rather go through anything else because I don’t want that memory in my life.”

“He said you were perfect tonight?” Theo asked, brushing a curl behind her ear.

She nodded. “He told me I was all wrong because I was perfect and if I wasn’t then maybe he’d be able to stand me. He looked disgusted. You know he was the one who got Luna here tonight, and really I’m kind of grateful because I hadn’t seen her in so long, but he wanted to break us up. He doesn’t want you to go to Italy. He doesn’t think I’m good enough for you,” her voice had got quiet now.

“That’s not-” Theo started but stopped before he finished the thought. She could see him thinking over everything she’d said. “Hermione, I understand your perspective and yeah, I figured he’d managed to convince Luna to come tonight. But what if you slept with him and I was there as well? Or we could blindfold you and silence him? Or we could… _Obliviate_ you afterwards so you didn’t remember?” His voice was quiet at the last suggestion, he knew she wouldn’t like it.

“Harry taught me to resist _Imperius_ and I have used that to guard against other spells. I can’t be _Obliviated_. It can’t get into my castle.” She tapped her head. “After what I did to my parents, I vowed that would never happen to me. And please believe me, I have thought about every scenario where I sleep with Draco to be done with it but all of them make my skin crawl. I just- I can’t do it.” She sighed, shakily. “Right at the beginning of all this, Ginny said to me that the runes confirmed the decisions she had made in life, validated her choices. They do the opposite for me. I either trust the runes or myself. And I choose me.” Her eyes sparkled with determination and she saw Theo smile at the familiar look. She would not be moved on this.

“Then let’s break this curse,” he murmured and she nodded against his chest as he pulled her to it.

“Your turn,” she whispered, tickling his chest hair and making him shiver.

“I apologise I didn’t tell you about her. I knew you were friends, she would talk about you all the time. I met her at Malfoy’s club. She was just so different from everyone else there and some of her fan club were around, admiring her as she danced and drank. At the time, seeing other people covet her made me want her, too. I approached her and well, you know what she’s like. So delicate yet forthright, seemingly innocent but quietly passionate.”

He had a pensive look, remembering. “We weren’t really boyfriend and girlfriend, we were either together or we weren’t. She spent a lot of time at the club with us. We were our best when we were wasted, falling into each other again and again but I was still heavy into the party scene and didn’t have any interests outside of that. I’m pretty sure I bored her when we were sober.”

“I can’t imagine you being boring,” Hermione stroked his jawline with her thumb.

“I stopped being boring when I met you at her father’s talk. I hadn’t expected to love talking to you so much, you made me thirst to know things so I could talk about them with you. So I pulled back from partying and tried to take up the few legitimate business dealings my father had before everything. Luna and I tried for real then, and it was good for a while. For a year it was amazing, then it stopped being as amazing and everything we had was just an echo of what once was. Does that make sense?”

Hermione nodded in understanding. “Sounds like what happened to Ron and I.”

“We would break up then get back together and then the Transit happened. We’d not been together for three weeks at that point. I saw the paper and it was like lightning struck me like I knew what I wanted. I’d denied you and pushed you away for years, Hermione.” He was looking at her so preciously a hand cupping her face and thumb stroking her cheek. Her heart clenched as she fought not to just kiss him and lose herself in his touch.

“I got dressed and came to you as soon as I could, I only paused to write Luna. I just sent her the article and a note that said, ‘Never again, it’s over.’ That wasn’t very nice of me, but it felt like I had this amazing opportunity with you and I’d wanted you for so long...” He slowed and looked at her, coming back from his memories. “It’s why I didn’t want you to wander when you made the wall in my mind after we first slept together, I thought you would hate me.”

“Why didn’t you ask me out sometime when you and Luna were off? You must have known I was attracted to you. I would ignore everyone else at those lectures and send you letters to make sure you would be at the next one. Not to mention all of my repeated attempts at asking you out. So why didn’t you accept?” Her eyes met his green irises and as he blinked his long lashes her breath caught in her chest.

“You have no idea how much I wanted to, it was torture saying no. But I wasn’t at that first lecture we went to by accident.” He waited, searching for a reaction, all he found was a creeping flush on her face as she fought to stay focused and not give in to her desire. He pulled her leg over his thigh and smiled at the heat emanating from between her legs.

“You knew I would be there?” her tone was breathless and she swallowed as he traced circles on the skin of her upper thigh exposed by the inching of her lace-edged nightgown.

“Yes, Luna had told me. We were on at that time. I went in order to spontaneously ask you to come to Greece with us for Draco’s birthday.” He watched as her eyes looked away, flicking backwards and forwards in a middle space trying to figure it out.

“Was it a prank? A joke for his birthday?” she looked at him again, steeling herself for a painful answer.

Theo gently shook his head. Draco was going to kill him for this. “No, Draco has had an infatuation with you for years. It goes all the way back to school. I know he is always awful to you, but he’s almost nice on his birthday so I thought maybe if you met him then and he managed not to insult you he might have a shot.” Her jaw had flopped open in shock, her emotions passed by in a cascade. Shock, understanding, embarrassment, anger, realisation tumbled through her.

“So you never accepted my invites for him? You were reserving me for Draco like some sort of prize?” She wasn’t happy, but then she softened. “Oh, because of what he did for you in the war. You thought I could make him happy.”

Theo nodded. “I didn’t know you very well, you were just someone Draco had a thing for. When I actually talked to you at the lecture it was like lighting a candle in a dark room. I suddenly understood why Draco liked you. Except I wasn’t a huge, raving prat about it. And so you liked me back.”

“Ever so much,” she breathed and she could tell he was having a hard time trying not to just kiss her in oblivion.

“You made me very late to Draco’s birthday. I had to lie and say a family member was taken to hospital. I had organised the trip with Pansy and I had to keep lying for years. I couldn’t let Drake know I was falling for you, too. But when the _Prophet_ printed your runes, I knew Draco wouldn’t be able to do anything about that. I finally felt hope that I could be with you without him hating me entirely.”

“So he can never know about my real runes then,” Hermione said, trailing light fingers down Theo’s chest.

“I honestly think it might kill him,” Theo told her.

“Mmm, we’ll break the curse or let it kill me instead then.” Hermione could no longer resist and she closed the distance between Theo and herself slotting her lips between his and despite everything, her heart jumped in her like it would explode, shining and throbbing.

Theo brought his hands to either side of her face and kissed her deeply, a moan of need vibrating through their kiss. The thin strap of her nightgown slipped off her shoulder and Theo traced a line down her neck across the slope of her collarbone. A delicious thrill undulating through her.

Her hands fisted in his T-shirt not allowing him to get away as their tongues danced along each other. A metallic fizzing that prickled like the calm in the air before a storm flitted in Hermione like her brain was sparking with the flood of pleasure. Theo dragged the tip of his tongue along the roof of her mouth and it felt so good a tear leaked out of the corner of Hermione’s eye.

Theo pulled away and lifted the tear off her cheek with a finger. “You’re crying, sweetness. Are you OK?” He looked so concerned and Hermione sighed shakily as her heart threatened to explode out of her.

“I just love you so much,” she breathed letting the words be captured between them as she delved into another kiss. She had not said that before. This kiss was manic, and he rolled over to be atop her. She could hear Theo’s heart thumping loudly from her words. He pulled back and he looked at her, cupping her face and kissing her all over. A smile that held a thousand promises gracing him.

“You have to know, Hermione-” he started but she cut him off.

“Don’t say it now. Tell me when it forces its way out of you like it can't bear to be unsaid anymore. Let’s have two moments exactly like this,” she placed her hands on his neck and pulled him down to her again, devoted to the way he groaned in bliss against her.

Her whole body was pulsing and she was a bit embarrassed that she was already so close to orgasm. Her spine arching into Theo as his hands left burning tracks along her skin.

They paused only to remove their clothing, kissing open expanses of skin as they became available. Hermione was so tightly coiled, she had been hanging on desperately for the past ten minutes trying so hard not to spill over the edge. But as she grasped Theo, stroking him and making him moan her name into her neck and he thumbed across her nipples, passing over them twice more while shattering her resolve with kisses, she cried out, pulling into him as she shook. The wave of her orgasm crashing violently into her, making the world seem muted like she was underwater.

Theo chuckled lightly, pulling himself up above her. “I affect you that much?” she could only nod and pull him down to her again, needing his mouth on her.

She was still trembling, a little freaked out. That had never happened to her before, the barest touch causing her to lose herself. She clutched at Theo, digging her fingernails into his shoulders.

Theo held her and she was able to stop shaking. She pulled her head up, “Sorry, I was just surprised and it scared me, the strength of what I felt when we had barely done anything.”

“Are you alright? What can I do for you?” Theo was searching her face trying to make sure there was nothing else she was holding back considering the evening they had.

She shook her head, feeling better in his care. “I need you inside me. But can we go slow?” She grasped his member and sunk herself down on it. The stretch making her give a long exhalation. He always felt so good and the sensation distracted her from the momentary madness she had suffered.

Theo seemed to sense she was fine now but still took things very slow. Sliding in and out of her idly, dragging across the sensitive spot inside her with every stroke. He watched her face the entire time, ensuring she was alright but she had started sighing softly again as she lay over his chest.

“ _Volupta copulor_ ” she whispered with a wave of her hand. Theo shuddered beneath her.

“Oh-” he swallowed and his movements became even slower. “This is incredible, what is it?”

“It’s how you affect me, I’ve connected you to my pleasure, I want you to know how good it feels.” She sighed and sat up feeling the spindling start to coil in her again.

Theo’s hands sat at her hips as she moved up and down his length at the angle that worked against her collection of nerves. His eyes were open in wonder, a flush blossoming up his neck. Experimentally he moved a thumb to stroke across her bud and they simultaneously moaned in bliss. Hermione brought herself down hard upon him with the sensation and Theo touched her again, a slightly harder pressure this time. A jolt zinged through them.

“Oh, fuck,” Theo cursed as he tipped his head back into the pillow.

Hermione began moving faster, in time with Theo’s strokes on her. Theo was breathing hard and his eyes were blown black with desire. Hermione leaned forward and kissed him, allowing him to thrust up into her and Theo groaned against her tongue. Hermione smiled but then gasped as her hardened nipples brushed against his chest, sparking fire low in her belly and a desperate sound left Theo.

They were moving quickly now and the prickling in Hermione’s brain was starting to tingle in anticipation, the build up of her orgasm coming.

“Oh Salazar, please Hermione. Oh gods, please,” Theo’s breathy whispers caressed her skin and Hermione rose up again, lifting herself up and down on him in quick succession, Theo rubbing her clit to match the pace. She brought his other hand up along her side to reach her breast and moved his thumb across the nipple, and she threw her head back. She felt the pressure rise in her and knew it was very close. Then with a final meeting of their hips, she jerked and ecstasy rolled through her, pushing into Theo as well as he yelled out and brought her crashing down to his chest as they spasmed and he spurted inside her. He was pulsing in her with the same intensity her walls were squeezing around him and he clutched her back, his face buried between her breasts.

The black spots in Hermione’s vision cleared and the effervescence of her orgasm slowly began to subside.

“Does it feel like that every time?” Theo asked her, his voice muffled as he was trapped beneath her. She started to remove herself from him, but he clung onto her harder.

“Yes, usually.” She felt him take a shaky breath and she lifted to see him look up at her in awe, he was shaking as he tried to deal with not only her release but his own as well.

“ _Defluo Incantatem,_ ” she murmured and he whimpered as he felt the sensation slowly ebbing away.

She disengaged from him and brought herself eye level with him, stroking his face. “I love you, Theo. Thank you for coming with me to Italy.”

He leant in and kissed her, adhering to her request he not say it back yet. “I’d follow you anywhere, Hermione. I want to share everything with you.” There was a pause as he caressed her face gently with the backs of his fingers. “Will you marry me?” He smiled. This was a tradition now. One she knew he meant more and more each time he asked it.

She looked into his eyes and said something she hadn’t before, another first for the evening. “Ask me again in another six months.”

He kissed her again and how sweet and affectionate and perfect it was caught her breath in her throat. He gathered her close and summoned a blanket over them, waving the candles out and stroked her hair as they drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for reading! 
> 
> Next chapter will be uploaded on 30/1 NZT
> 
> I love reading your comments, thank you so much for them.


	8. Wow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Devin says Wow when he visits Draco at his club. Theo says Wow to Hermione.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are now at the halfway point! Just seven chapters to go after this, though I haven't decided whether I will add the Epilogue as a separate chapter yet.
> 
> Thank you so much for coming on this journey with me!

**Chapter Eight: Wow**

“Hellooo!” A cheerful voice called out, too bright for how early it was. On New Years’ Day no less.

“What the fuck?” Draco heard Blaise groan, from the next room. Draco agreed with the sentiment. He should adjust the Silencing wards to come down later in the day, he really needed more sleep.

“Wow, Miss Hermione would really, really hate these pictures,” the voice continued.

“I think she looks nice. Just surprised,” another quieter voice replied.

“Yes, but see how wide her eyes are and the way her mouth is open in shock? This is real, she hates showing real emotion for the press, she says it steals something that should be hers and whoever she shares it with. She usually fakes it.” There was a sigh. “No wonder she refuses to come here.”

“She looks like this in the _Prophet_ too though sometimes,” the female voice sounded confused.

“She can’t help herself around Mr. Theo.”

“Oh.” There was a pause. “That’s understandable, he’s very handsome.”

Draco stood, grabbing some discarded boxers from the floor and extricating himself from the witch beside him. It didn’t seem like these visitors were going to be leaving anytime soon. How did they even get in?

He grunted in pain as he came down the stairs to see Granger’s puppy sitting at the bar with a young woman. She had brown curly hair, brown eyes, a pouting bow to her lips and a very similar cast to her face to that of the photos the two had been discussing. This witch wore a pair of glasses though. It was like a Hermione 2.0 except for the blazing fire the original witch held in her every interaction. This one seemed quiet and reserved. She was shy and she blushed at Draco’s near nakedness.

“This simply _has_ to be your girlfriend,” Draco smirked at Granger’s assistant, clutching his pounding head.

“Mr. Malfoy, you look awful! And yes, this is Jacqueline,” the witch beside him burned brighter as Draco came closer, twisting her hands together nervously. She snuck a quick glance at his bare chest and flushed so strongly she had to cover her face with her hands.

“I-I’ll wait for you outside,” she stuttered, knocking over a stool in her haste to leave.

“Oh, puppy,” Draco purred to Devin as he watched the witch fan herself outside. “Aren’t you taking your crush on your boss a little too far?”

To Draco’s surprise Devin just laughed. “Well, you would be the expert on that,” he gestured to be posters again.

“That,” Draco said pointing idly to one beside the bar, “has been earning me a lot of money.”

Devin scoffed. “Oh yeah, suuuuure. Like I won’t actually find one beside your bed like you told her.”

“That’s very specific knowledge to have,” Draco told the boy, finding himself a Pepper-Up Potion.

“Miss Hermione tells me most everything,” Devin sat up a little in pride, his eyes glinting.

“So you would, of course, know the answer to the question I gave her right before this was taken?” He indicated the poster again. But if Draco had been trying to make the boy in front of him squirm, it didn’t work.

A slow grin came across his face. “She said it depends on what he eats but pineapple is a particular favourite. She also said that if you asked this to tell you to stop terrorising me.”

Draco watched as Devin grinned, his head in his hands and swinging his legs in the space beneath the barstool. The picture of innocence.

“And you don’t mind hearing these things about their sex life?” Draco prodded further.

“Nope. I want to learn everything I can about Miss Hermione. She only shares if I ask anyway. And I only ask so I’ll be ready when she’s single again.”

“What about your Granger-Lite outside?” Draco admitted he was a little impressed by this puppy.

“Oh, she’s using me to get to my cousin. Mutually beneficial arrangement,” Devin raised an eyebrow at Draco as if reminding him he’d once been 19. Young, dumb and full of… moxie. This kid had to be a Slytherin.

“And you are so sure Granger will be single again?” Draco scoffed.

“Oh yes, I’m counting on you for that. As long as you keep trying to sabotage them, directly or indirectly, something will stick. Mr. Theo will be gone and my two biggest rivals will have taken each other out. And I will be there, steadfast, loyal, patient. And waiting,” His eyes sparkled at Draco who was finding this straightforward conversation very disconcerting. Devin gave a wistful sigh as if imaging his life with Hermione.

“What’s your last name, kid?”

“Montague. I think you played Quidditch with my older brother, Graham. And Jacqueline out there... she’s not Slytherin like us, she’s a Ravenclaw. But she’s still a Greengrass. Don’t you wish your Greengrass looked more like her? How far along are those betrothal negotiations or are they defunct now?” Devin knew an awful lot more than Draco had given him credit for.

Blaise was coming down the stairs now in a pair of trackpants and helping a woman who was stumbling in her high heels.

“Draco, your friend wants to go home but doesn’t know where her purse is,” Blaise tilted his head with curiosity at Devin, clearly having heard everything.

Draco tossed Blaise a sparkly bag that was behind the bar, the woman’s spelled head of curly brown hair following her like a cloud as she blew a lazy kiss and left.

Devin sat up straighter. “Wow Mr. Malfoy, you teased about Jackie but at least I found someone that already looks like her. Do you have trouble if you don’t charm their hair?”

Blaise opened his mouth, ready to tell the boy to fuck off, but saw Draco was amused by him. Probably because this side of Devin was very similar to himself.

“Surely Granger doesn’t know this is what her assistant is really like?” Blaise hissed.

“I think Granger sent him here to probe for something. Isn’t that right, Montague?”

“Of course not Mr. Malfoy, sir. The probing is all my own. Miss Hermione asked me to come by and give you these,” he gave a velvet bag to both Blaise and Draco. “There’s a Portkey inside there, it will take you directly to the Italian Embassy if you ever want to visit. And Mr. Theo asked me to return this-” he waggled a charmed key that allowed entry to the club even when the wards were up. He placed it on the bar and slid it across to Draco.

Blaise frowned at the kid. “So what’s with the third degree?”

Devin looked a little put out. “I needed to confirm something that Miss Hermione told me, but I never got a direct answer.” He slipped off the barstool getting ready to leave. “By the way, Miss Hermione... she changed her answer.”

Draco furrowed his brow, “Her answer to what?”

“Mr Theo asks her to marry him every day. She’s changed her answer.” Devin gave Draco a significant look. “Now she says to ask her again in six months. So that’s how long you’ve got left,” he gave a bright smile, waved and ran out to meet his not-a-girlfriend.

Draco had crossed his arms contemplating the new information. Blaise was eyeing him warily.

“Drake, you alright? You’re not going to do anything rash are you?” Blaise cautiously edged out.

Draco narrowed his eyes. “I’m not going to do a thing. Though no matter what I do I feel like I’ll be playing straight into that kid’s hands. He knows something we don’t, he’s entirely too confident.”

Blaise just sighed, “Fuuuuck me, Hermione Granger will be the death of us all.”

* * *

_Six months later, Saturday, 25 June 2005_

Hermione unlocked herself from Theo’s side and rushed up to give Harry and Ginny a massive hug. She hadn’t been able to see them for a while, her six months as the Italian ambassador keeping her very busy and they had been unavailable the last two times she had been in England for the Malfoy benefits.

Harry greeted her with a hug and a kiss and then gone on ahead to speak with Theo.

“Mione, it’s so good to see you! Life in Rome seems to be treating you well, you look amazing!” Ginny had run her hands down Hermione’s own when pulling back from the hug. She felt something as she gripped Hermione’s fingers, her eyes widened.

Hermione quickly leaned in. “Shh, I’m keeping it glamoured until everyone’s here, ok?”

Ginny looked like she was about to have an apoplectic fit but nodded.

“Oh, Mione, I’m so happy for you!” Ginny was starting to cry.

Hermione hugged her again and Devin appeared next to her. He had become quite accomplished in the year he had been working for Hermione. His efficiency and intuition had proved invaluable to her and she was sad but proud she’d nominated him for an advisory position in the Communications team of the Embassy. It should be confirmed soon but knowing the young man, he would still make sure to check in on her.

His crush on her had faded, thank goodness, and they now had a rather special friendship. It was something she needed in Italy when their other friends weren’t around.

“Hermione, I’ve just come to inform you that Lady Malfoy has issued an invitation for morning tea tomorrow before you are to depart at 2.00pm, can I confirm?”

“Thank you, Devin. Tell her I would be delighted.” Narcissa had taken a liking to Hermione now that she was the Italian ambassador and rather enjoyed telling her friends of their acquaintance. Especially when Hermione rarely associated with the other Sacred Twenty-Eight families, making her a coveted influence in higher society. Even more so as Theo and herself had become darlings of the European elite sets often photographed in society pages around the continent. It wasn’t something Hermione thought she would enjoy but Theo needed to attend parties and galas to keep expanding his business enterprises and Hermione had found some like-minded friends.

Gabrielle Delacour, wife of the Italian Premier for Magic’s son, sister to Fleur, was now a great friend of hers. The brash and scandalous Italian opera singer, Giuliana Sabatini, had quickly sought Hermione out as a companion having been impressed by her work for magical creature rights and the Icelandic representative to the International Wizard Committee based in Nice, Lilja Ragnarsdottir was also a firm friend. The daughter of the Japanese Ambassador in France, Ayano Nakamura was dating Devin and Hermione loved spending time with the witch. There were a few others, but whenever Hermione was able to get together with Gabrielle, Giuliana, Ayano and Lilja, the press hounded them as the progressive faces of Wizarding Europe.

Her new friends were wonderful of course, but the people in England were family. Hermione squeezed Ginny once more before releasing her.

Ginny wiped her eyes and gave Hermione a happy, wobbly smile before glancing over her friend’s shoulder. “Oh, Blaise is here. Malfoy can’t be far behind. Pansy and Neville will be a little bit late, they said. Ron and Fay were right behind us, oh there they are.” She tilted her chin to the couple.

Hermione went over to greet them as well. Fay was just starting to show a tiny hint of a baby bump and Hermione hugged the woman. “How are my favourite soon-to-be-parents?” She smiled at them.

Ron was grinning goofily. They had become even more deliriously happy with the pregnancy and Molly kept fussing over them to get married but Fay wanted to hold out and have their child there with them. Fay launched into some hilarious pregnancy anecdotes and Hermione smiled at Ron who looked so excited with his impending fatherhood.

Devin had come up to her again. “Hermione, everyone has arrived now, shall we get them all seated and begin?”

“Thank you Devin, that would be wonderful. Do you have everything you need?” she asked.

“Yes, I’ve had the spell mastered for months now and Theo tipped me to do my registration a couple of weeks ago,” he gently gripped her wrist with a smile looking very dapper in his black suit.

Hermione found Theo’s eyes on her and grinned at him. He was talking with Blaise and Draco and held out his hand for her to join them. She turned back to Ron and Fay. “Make yourselves comfortable. Theo and I have booked out this room in the hotel for the entire day, bar included and already paid for. Lots of non-alcoholic options for you too, Fay.”

They smiled at her and urged her to join Theo. She went over to him and took his hand, he curled it under his arm and grinned at her with excitement. “Devin said we can start anytime,” she told him and turned to Blaise and Draco. “It’s so good to see you both! Last month was too hectic, we barely got to spend any time together.”

Blaise grinned at her and leaned in to give her a hug and kiss her cheek. “I’ll be coming over in a few weeks soon anyway. Please tell me I can stay at the Embassy? My mother drives me up the wall with all her soirees this time of year.”

“Of course you can. Is there anyone else I should invite?” she gave him a twinkling look and he quirked his mouth at her.

“Not this time, I’ll play it by ear.” Blaise smirked at her. Giuliana and Blaise consistently seemed to find a way to cause some kind of scandal when he visited them.

“What about you Draco? Pansy and Neville are coming over for a bit during the summer holidays. The Embassy usually slows down in the hotter months, we’d have more time free,” Theo asked his friend.

“Isn’t seeing you once a month at my parents benefits enough?” Draco drawled to which Theo pouted.

“While Hermione attends those, you know I am rarely able to since I often have meetings in London. Come on, come stay with us. You haven’t been over for longer than a couple days yet,” Theo had been missing Draco like Hermione missed Harry and Ginny.

She reached out to pat Draco’s sleeve. “Please, it would mean a lot.” Her spine instinctively pulled her away from his gaze immediately, feeling that burning heat of dislike strike across her skin.

But then Draco sighed. “Sure, if only to get away from my parents incessant badgering about finding some pureblood bint to marry.”

Devin had appeared again. “Excellent, I’ll make the accommodations and owl you all potential dates once I confirm with Miss Parkinson and Mr. Longbottom.” He turned back to Hermione and Theo. “Here are the amulets, just break them open to activate. Mr. Zabini and Mr. Malfoy, if you would take your seats, we should begin.”

Hermione smoothed down Devin’s collar even though it was already pristine. “You just want to get to the open bar.”

“You know me too well, Hermione.” Devin smiled at the joke giving her a quick hug and went to the front of the room.

Around a coffee table with trays of champagne glasses were some comfortable couches and armchairs where their friends were seated. Most already had a drink and Devin was arranging his notes while the others chatted.

Theo took Hermione’s hands in his. “OK, are you sure about this?”

“I’ve been sure since Christmas.” She matched his loving smile, her heart fluttering in happiness. “But we still haven’t found a solution, are you OK with what that might mean?”

“I love you, Hermione. You know how much I love you. I want this,” he jiggled her hands delicately in his and led her to where Devin was waiting.

They surveyed their friends who were chatting and laughing, standing before them.

“Hi, everyone!” Hermione called out and Ginny shushed them all, sitting on the edge of her seat. “So, Theo and I have a bit of an announcement.” She looked to him and he pulled her close, taking over.

“I asked Hermione to marry me last night, _again_ ,” there was a ripple of good-natured laughter.

“This is really not news,” Pansy teased, waving a champagne flute in her hands.

“But, well, this time I said yes,” Hermione said and unglamoured her ring. It was rose gold with a unique red and green sunstone on the band, her hand remaining entwined with Theo’s.

Most everyone in the room began to rush forward for congratulations but Theo put out a hand to halt them. “Save your words, you’ll need them again soon because actually we’re getting married. Right now, in fact…”

This did nothing to dampen the excitement in the room and Hermione laughed as Theo tried to hush them but had to be aided by Ginny again.

Hermione thanked her. “It’s so rare that we can all get together at the moment, so we thought we’d take the opportunity to do it now. We wanted something small and private and we will probably have to have a big lavish wedding at some point, too. But the people here are those most special to us and we wanted to share this day with just you.”

Theo wiped away a tear that had leaked out the corner of her eye and raised his amulet at her.

Hermione nodded and they broke them simultaneously. Theo became clothed in a set of luxurious dress robes and Hermione’s pencil dress transformed in an ethereal lilac and periwinkle gown that twinkled with tiny stars and embroidered flowers that bloomed when she moved.

“Wow,” Theo breathed and she blushed.

“Are you ready?” Devin asked them and they nodded, not able to look away from each other. “You have already memorised the vows you wish to take. Theo, please start.”

Devin started the binding incantation around their clasped hands as Theo spoke, “I, Theodore Josiah Nott, promise to love and care for you and I will try in every way to be worthy of your love. I will always be honest with you, kind, patient and forgiving. I promise to cherish you and respect you. These things I give to you today, and all the days of our lives.” He smiled at Hermione and when she saw his conviction, she felt the depth of his love so keenly she quietly gasped.

The magic Devin created with the bonding incantation sparkled and set inside around Theo’s wrist, the other end awaiting Hermione to complete her vows. Her heart felt like it was quivering as she looked at Theo. When she thought of her life, he was her favourite part of it. When she thought of the future, every step she wanted to take had him by her side.

The way time stood still when she looked at him like they had carved a new part of the universe in which for them to exist. The way he smelled of vetiver, poppies and a light musk that she sometimes seriously worried she was addicted to. The secret smiles across a ballroom, the encouraging squeeze of his hand, the way their bed not only held gasps and moans but laughter and slow early morning smiles. It was all waiting for her to take forever, so long as she ended the Transit spell. Theo grinned at her and gently tried not to laugh knowing that in a singular second she had whirled through an entire imagined lifetime with him. She laughed at herself and began.

“I, Hermione Jean Granger, promise to love and care for you and I will try in every way to be worthy of your love. I will always be honest with you, kind, patient and forgiving. I promise to cherish you and respect you. These things I give to you today, and all the days of ou- my life.” She choked at the change, Theo shook his head and raised his non-bound hand to her cheek as she nestled into it. She wanted to give him a little leeway since marriage binding magics were strong. The magical bond wrapped around her wrist and they waited for Devin to finish the ritual.

“Theodore Josiah Nott and Hermione Jean Granger, you are now bound so long as you both live by the tenets you have set. May your love guide you now and forever. You are now husband and wife. Please join together to forge the _Imprimatur_.”

Theo pulled her into his arms and kissed her as the magic settled into their skin and the binding exploded into orbs of glowing light that danced throughout the room. Everything seemed to swirl around them. Hermione felt the magic of the spell mix and embed with her own, entwining, weaving her and Theo together in a way that only a long and complicated process could undo.

Hermione could hear her friends clapping for them, whooping and hollering and Devin sniffling beside them, trying not to cry. But nothing felt as important as Theo’s lips on hers and the bubble of ecstatic happiness she felt. They pulled back and rested their foreheads together.

“Hermione, nothing can ruin this. Nothing but the gods themselves,” Theo said to reassure her and she nodded against him.

There wasn’t much time for anything else as Ginny enveloped them in a huge hug, bawling her eyes out and Neville joined in not long after.

After being mauled in a massive group hug, Harry drew her out of the pack and clasped her to him. “Hermione. My beautiful, wonderful, clever Hermione.” he squeezed her tight. “I’m so, so happy for you. I love you so much.”

“I love you too, Harry. I’ve never had a better friend,” Hermione clung to him. She had missed him more than she thought possible now she lived in Italy. No longer could she just go to his office or pop round to his house when she was scared or nervous.

He kissed the top of her head and let her go but not before whispering, “I’ll give you away at your ridiculous, over-the-top, fancy-pants wedding if you want.” Knowing his aversion for society events Hermione squeezed his hands and burst into tears.

“Theo! I made her cry. I’m sorry!” Harry panicked.

Theo wrapped Hermione in his arms, “What’s wrong, sweetness?” he chuckled. He knew these were her happy tears, they were much uglier than her sad tears.

“He’s being so n-nice!” Hermione wailed. “H-he wants to give me away at our other high society wedding. Even though he hates stupid elitist parties and our wedding is going to be the stupidest, elitiest party ever.”

“Elitiest?” Theo let her cry against him and faux-sighed at Harry who looked stricken. “You broke her. She used a word that isn’t a real word. Married five minutes, Potter and you broke my wife.”

Theo cupped her face in his hands, eyes shining with such a brilliant and pure love it made her heartbeat thrum all through her body. “My _wife_ ,” he said so tenderly it hurt and placed a kiss to her forehead.

Hermione pulled back and laughed, glad for the makeup charm that was in the amulet. She took a hand of both Theo and Harry, blinking away the remaining tears through her staccato cry-laughter. Her voice warbled as she said, “Alright, I think it’s time for the open bar.”

A chorus of cheers and applause followed the statement, beginning an exodus to place drink orders. Only Blaise and Draco remained, chatting in their seats and availing themselves to the tray on the table near them. Harry squeezed her hand and smiled at her again, leaving Hermione alone with Theo.

Her Theo. After having a crush on him for four years and uncharacteristically persevering in her attempts to date him, then a year-long whirlwind romance, now he was hers. Bonded by magic. Looking into his eyes, she could tell he was having similar thoughts.

“Gods I love you so much,” she breathed, winding her hands around his neck. She knew Blaise and Draco could probably overhear her but at the moment she didn’t care. Theo kissed her cheek and chuckled against her.

“I’m sure I love you more,” he joked making Hermione pout and shake her head. He sighed in bliss looking at her. “I often wonder what I did to trick you into loving me.”

She laughed. “Oh, that’s easy. You became my favourite.” He tilted his head slightly, hinting at her to elaborate. “You are my very favourite person. Have been for longer than I care to admit. Don’t tell Harry. And now you’re mine. I’m never letting you go.” She poked out her tongue and he laughed as well, dipping down to kiss her.

She pressed herself against his body, a pitched suspire leaving her to be inhaled by him. The combining of their magic singing and instilling itself into a euphoric aura around them.

Hermione pulled back, her eyelashes fluttering as her heart pounded. Theo stroked her cheek looking so ardent in his adoration for her she felt tears pricking again. He smiled and kissed her quickly once more before leading her to the bar with the rest of their friends.

And Hermione wished for this to be the start of the rest of her life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone, thank you so much for reading. I'm looking forward to seeing what you think of this development! 
> 
> Time skips will be happening a fair bit in the upcoming chapters as I wanted to keep a tight focus on the span of the Transit. 
> 
> The next chapter is a bit shorter but gives Draco's POV. Then we have some longer chapters. I'm sorry it's not consistent, it just worked out that way. Sometimes a chapter just needs to breathe on its own for a bit.
> 
> I love, love, love your comments! Thank you so much for them. The theories really inspire me and if I'm honest I've been thinking about turning this into a series where different choices the characters make create wildly different scenarios, so if you have any 'what-if's' from this fic, send them my way!
> 
> You are all wonderful, beautiful beings and thank you again for reading.
> 
> Next post will be 1/2 NZT


	9. Listen Carefully

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Listen very carefully, I shall say this only once." Draco reacts to Theo and Hermione's wedding.

**Chapter Nine: Listen Carefully**

Draco was making liberal use of the libations on offer. This was not what he expected to be doing today, attending the wedding of his best mate and… and Hermione Granger. They looked so ridiculously, ecstatically happy too. Blaise and Pansy had both checked in on him, but he assured them he was fine. And for the most part he was. Unless he thought about the wedding or Theo or Granger. Other than that, he was completely fine.

The Montague kid appeared to be babysitting him, watching him carefully but not preventing him from drinking.

“So, you couldn’t stop it after all?”

Devin smiled at him. “Mr. Malfoy you are far more coherent than I thought you would be after imbibing that much alcohol so quickly. Though I suppose you do own that club of yours so you must be used to it.”

Draco snorted at him. “Aren’t you upset, little pup, knowing you’re one and only Miss Hermione has married someone else?”

“My crush faded in time. It was rather indecent of me to fixate on my boss anyway. I’m glad she forgave me the transgression. We are very good friends now and I love her very much. That’s why I’m here looking after you.” He smiled again and sank some whisky.

Draco scoffed, “Quitter.”

Devin laughed and shook his head. He ran a careful eye over Draco.

“You knew they would get married immediately,” Draco accused him. “That’s why you told me there were only six months left. How’d you know?”

Devin cocked his head, glancing at the ceiling. “I know Hermione very well. In my position she shares most of her memories and thoughts with me. I know how focused she is, her drive to become Minister for Magic before the decade is out. The ambassadorship isn’t really something she covets, nor the power of the Minister’s office beyond helping others and creating change for the better. She puts up with the prestige but it’s not innate to her. I knew she would want to have a small ceremony and quickly after she accepted so the press didn’t get wind of it. That’s why I volunteered to be the officiant.”

“Why does she want to become Minister for Magic so quickly?” Draco thought that was odd, it usually took at least 20 years in the Ministry to garner enough support to run. Though Granger was a special case.

“I guess just in case something happens to her,” Devin gave a careful shrug. Draco side-eyed it but let it go for now.

“They did debate warning you,” Devin changed the subject. “Knowing your aversion to them as a couple, they thought if you knew you wouldn’t come. Or do something drastic to stop it. But they desperately wanted you here. You mean a lot to Theo. And by extension Hermione.”

There was a beat of silence. There wasn’t anything Draco could say to that, he doubted he would have come if he’d known.

“How long?” Devin asked quietly. His eyes held steady and urged a no-bullshit response, there was a lack of judgment and even understanding coming from him.

Draco sighed. He may as well admit it, his surly standoffish behaviour today would have given it away to the most blind of people. “Eleven years, that’s why you’re a quitter.” He poured another whisky from the bottle he had absconded with from the bar.

“What about Astoria Greengrass? There was talk that might be happening,” Devin queried.

“Might still be. Absolutely not anything I want. Something my parents do want, however. Carry on the Malfoy line and all that.” Draco gave a magnificent eye roll.

“If you insinuate not to be a quitter, how come you didn’t try to actually win Hermione? You’re always rather awful to her,” Devin seemed perplexed by Draco’s behaviour.

Draco looked at him with a raised eyebrow as if it were all rather obvious. “You quit wanting to be in love with her, I have yet to quit the opposite.”

Devin pondered the statement before slowly rolling through his thoughts. “You have spent eleven years being horrible to Hermione to fall out of love with her. You don’t want to want her…” Devin sighed and stood up. “Your life is a tragedy Mr. Malfoy.” He walked off and Draco poured another large glass of whisky.

A flouncing of tulle crinkled as someone sat in the seat Devin had exited. Draco sighed as if this day couldn’t get any worse.

“What do you want, Granger?” he wanted to keep his teeth gritted hard, but that made it difficult to drink and he’d rather not have all his faculties at his disposal and his desire to get obliterated won out.

It was distractingly unfair that she looked more beautiful than she ever had, and she’d been pulling out some showstoppers since arriving in Italy.

“Devin informed me that now would be the best time for you to insult me, so I came over,” she waved a hand in the air before placing her head in it, her form hunched over to purposely annoy him that she wasn’t utilising his posture training.

Draco was bristling from being near her, his lip curling. “And why do you want me to insult you? Formed some kind of weird kink on the continent?”

“No, I don’t like it at all. I just want to help you.” She said it easily and he hated it.

His eyes turned cold, wintry and freezing as he met her gaze. “That is the kind of sanctimonious bullshit I detest in you Granger. Your smug holier-than-thou aura ringing like a halo over your perfect head pitying those beneath you. And don’t say you don’t believe you’re better than me because we both know it’s a lie. But just because it is the truth doesn’t mean you have to be so disgustingly aware of it.” The words were frigid, gliding and crashing out of him like a glacier losing an ice shelf and her expression fell a little more with each word. He felt a thrill of victory that she knew he was right.

Finished he drew a deep breath and sculled back the rest of his whisky while she watched him refill.

“Do you feel better now?” she asked, her voice neutral and enunciated.

He cocked his head from side to side as if relieving a small amount of remaining tension and he sat back in the chair. “Very much so.”

She stood and kissed her fingers before patting him on the head with them. Her eyes glittered with too many contained emotions to properly discern them. “You know I only let you treat me this way because I love him so much.”

She went back to the throng and Blaise sheepishly joined him again.

“So… when you said you were ‘fine’ earlier, you meant you were going to be a raging tosser to Granger on her wedding day?”

“Isn’t that what it usually means?” Draco intoned sarcastically.

"Mate, seriously? Hermione has tried really fucking hard with you and all do is insult her or fuck with her or try to make her uncomfortable." He sighed looking very concerned. "Please Draco, you didn’t used to be like this, not this bad anyway. I’m fucking begging you, what can me or Pansy or anyone do to stop you acting like this.”

Blaise was looking at him pleadingly. Draco snorted into his drink. It was way too fucking late to be asking for help. He didn’t know what had changed exactly, his infatuation with the witch had been mild before all this. Before he had woken up and seen Granger’s runes with Theo’s fucking name on her in the newspaper. It had just turned on that day, an alien feeling inside him. It all seemed… wrong somehow. Then the infatuation had turned to obsession and he couldn’t turn it off. Though he doubted Blaise would believe him, he had been restraining himself for Theo’s sake. If it had been someone else, he would have destroyed Granger’s connection with that person like he had with Wood. Instead, he haunted his club, pretty much only leaving when social engagements or his parents dictated he had to, distracting himself with alcohol and other women. He hated it all, it wasn’t like he wanted things to be this way.

“Blaise, always so comforting.” He rolled his eyes. “Granger is just fine. Remember she finds me of so little consequence as to be beneath her notice.”

“How can you say that when she was considerate enough to actually give you an opportunity to insult her so _you_ would feel better?” Blaise hissed at him. “She cares about you Draco, you pillock.”

Draco surveyed the room, but the two of them were apart from everyone else. The others all seemed happy, talking and laughing with Granger and Theo. Making the most of the bar, admiring Granger’s ring, hugging each other and smiling as the stars on Granger’s dress floated out occasionally to nestle into Theo’s dress robes.

Draco pulled his gaze away dragging everything he felt that he still wouldn’t acknowledge properly into his mind behind his walls, separating himself.

“I will only say this once ever Blaise, so listen carefully.” Draco looked at his friend who blinked in surprise knowing Draco was going to actually say something real for once. “If I don’t insult her, I will say something else, something she’s never wanted to hear and will drive Theo from my life. Granger understands it’s a tentative balance, that’s why she allows my particular methods. But it’s all for Theo, so don’t try manipulate me by insinuating her actions are an indication of any sort of affection. I don’t want this, I never have. But nothing I do seems to stop it either. So, let me avail myself to more whisky and stop making this harder than it already is.”

Blaise sat in silent shock. Draco could tell he’d never expected that level of being candid. Finally the man spoke, “I wish you’d said all this while Pansy was around. She’d know what to say much better than me.”

Draco sneered and gestured to where Pansy was unsubtly fondling Longbottom’s backside, a hand on his bicep, her head resting on his shoulder. “Pans has grown soft around all the lions. She’d probably have done something awful like tell me she understood or worse given me a hug.” He shuddered.

Blaise laughed which was much more the kind of comfort Draco needed. His friend summoned a glass.

“Well, then. Let’s cost the happy couple far too much money and see how many times they will restock the top shelf. He gave Draco a mischievous grin and Draco topped up his glass and toasted him.

A little bit later on Theo came up to them. He joined them for a drink and then Blaise slipped away to let Draco and Theo talk.

Theo gave a small nervous smile. “Are you OK, Drake? I know we kind of sprung this on everyone.”

“Well, it only took you exactly 381 proposals, but you finally managed to bag the Golden Girl. I offer you my sincere congratulations. I never once thought she would seriously settle down with a Slytherin.” Draco gave Theo a whisky and clinked it.

Theo looked down at it with a small crease of sadness. “I’m sorry,” his words held guilt and shame.

Draco just raised an eyebrow. Theo continued, “I should have told you that I had feelings for her, too. That I was meeting with her. I should have gone to see you when the Transit kicked in before I went to her. I shouldn’t have blown up at you when you proved to be the biggest obstacle I had to face to keep her.”

“We always get through it though, don’t we?” Draco gave him a smirk, an easy brotherly teasing smoothing the conversation.

“Yeah,” Theo sighed, his shoulders relaxing. “I should have trusted you.”

“Nah, you were probably right not to,” Draco replied and both of them laughed.

There was a quiet moment between them when they both just enjoyed each other’s company, a feeling that was often too cached in difficult conversations to find.

Draco found himself curious about something though, “Why did Granger change her vows?”

Theo looked at him.

“You know, when she stammered over the phrase, ‘our lives’ and changed it to ‘my life’, why did she do that?” Draco leaned forward showing he didn’t mean any malice by it.

Theo shook his head. “Mione was giving me some leeway on the binding magic. She has this silly notion that something terrible might befall her. As long as I love her that will never happen. I don’t think anyone here will let it. That includes you despite all your posturing. I know when it came down to it, you’d protect her.”

Draco tsked at him with an eye roll. “I wouldn’t count on it, I might be quite happy to finally be rid of her.”

They laughed again knowing the threat was empty. Or perhaps it was just full of sarcasm instead of conviction.

Theo was watching Granger again, a soft and affectionate look on him. “Can you believe it, Drake? Hermione Granger is my _wife_.” He sighed in a way that sounded like every hope and wish had been answered with her tying herself to him. “I’m really glad you’re here.”

He smiled at Draco and clapped him on the shoulder, leaving him to pull Granger into a tight embrace, joking with Blaise as he started dancing with her. They spoke to each other in quiet voices, smiles unable to leave their faces. Granger laughed, throwing her head back and Theo smiled in the way he did when he was being teased. Draco watched Granger lift a hand to caress the dimple in his cheek, leaning up to her tiptoes to kiss it and Theo’s eyes fluttered shut as he wrapped his arms around her, crushing her to him.

“Fucking disgusting, isn’t it,” Pansy had crouched by him. She held his gaze and tutted in annoyance at the couple.

“You’ve been rather revolting yourself lately,” Draco gave her a disappointed look. Shaking his head indicating she was losing her cred for heartlessness.

“I have never looked that pathetic. I just like starting the foreplay early. Seeing what he’ll let me get away with.” Draco chuckled at her. She stood and grabbed his hand, trying to pull him up. “Come on and socialise. Ginny’s at that stage of drunk we love where she’ll do anything if we dare her that she can’t do it.”

“That is rather fun. Even better is Potter desperately trying to stop her.” He let her pull him up.

Pansy gave him a devilish grin. “Exactly, now stop being such a grump and let’s cause some mischief.”

And that’s how the _Prophet_ who were staking out the public areas of the hotel waiting for a now rare photo of the Golden Trio together ended up with a picture of Ginevra Potter streaking across the hotel lobby floor wearing only a makeshift sandwich board made of two drink trays with The Boy Who Lived chasing after her with a hotel robe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beware the tags, some more than others, for the next chapter. 
> 
> Chapter Ten will jump forward three years. It's quite a big chapter but I am determined to stick to 15 chapters for this fic.
> 
> Thank you for your comments, they have really been spurning on to complete the story. 
> 
> Next chapter will be uploaded on 3/2 NZT


	10. Always

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One feeling the effects of always. One taking something to be theirs always. One just starting to feel the burden of always.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beware the tags people.

**Chapter Ten: Always**

_Three years later. Thursday, 17 July 2008_

“So, tomorrow is a very big day,” Theo brought Hermione’s hand up and kissed it. They were walking along a section of the Appian Way, taking some time just for themselves. In the three years they had lived in Rome, they had sporadically traversed nearly all 38 and a half miles of the ancient road, taking small sections of it when they could spare to get away from their commitments. They used the time to enjoy each other’s company without anyone else around.

Since they had got married three years ago, they had just fallen even more in love which Hermione hadn’t thought possible. Theo’s business was doing incredibly well, and Hermione loved her work as the Italian ambassador which gave her a lot more free reign than she’d thought. However, they were winding up their time in Italy. Hermione had taken a position as the British representative on the European Wizarding Council which was based in Nice. They would be moving in over the next week.

Luckily, Devin was also transferring to become a Senior Advisor on her Communications team over there. They’d both come to rely on Devin a lot as children started taking up the time of a number of their friends. Ron and Fay now had two kids, Harry and Ginny had one and Pansy had surprised everyone by disappearing for six months before her and Neville announced they had a pair of twins, a boy and a girl.

Blaise still came often though his gallivanting around with Giuliana they didn’t see him as much as they would like. Draco visited occasionally but seemed to only be able to stomach their company for a couple days at most before he’d leave without even a goodbye.

Hermione smiled up at Theo. Despite not being able to see her friends as often as she’d like, she loved their life. The easy way they balanced his work and hers, the way they would support and encourage each other. How on their worst days after an argument Theo would step right in her space and she would watch the anger ebb away in him before he would cup her face and place gentle kisses all over her until the fury had subsided and they would make love.

They were both looking forward to the next chapter of their lives in Nice, Theo already had an office there and had secured trade deals last year before Hermione’s new job was even a prospect.

Hermione stopped Theo and flung her arms around his neck, kissing him in the late afternoon sun. He caught her sunhat as his forehead pushed it off and brought her even closer.

Theo pulled away from her reluctantly. “Come on, we should get back. That last mile will have to wait for another time.”

Hermione pouted. “I know. You just look really hot today and I know it’s going to be a whirlwind tonight and all tomorrow. Though…” she paused to look at him with sultry promises. “Since the ritual is rather specific and while I wish we didn’t have to wait another day, I am _very_ much looking forward to it.”

Theo brought his arm around her and she could tell he was thrumming in anticipation as well. “And after we save Britain from the Transit, I get to marry you all over again. We’ll finally sign the official papers and be legally husband and wife, not just magically bonded. At the stupidest, elitiest wedding ever.” He grinned at her.

Hermione groaned at his teasing and let him lead her way to the Apparition point to go back to the Embassy. It had taken Devin and herself years of stolen hours researching to figure out how to summon the goddess Venus which could only be achieved when it was simultaneously the day of the full moon, Venus held a particular position in the sky and Hermione was ovulating which would be a couple of hours before Theo and her were due to have their lavish, public wedding that evening.

They had explored the possibility of Apollo but concluded that Hermione’s disdain for divination would offend the god and it wasn’t his magic anyway. Every piece of literature they found told them divine magic could only be manipulated by those whose domain it was.

Hermione was nervous, hoping that everything would go well and then trusting the spell would have dissipated so her and Theo wouldn’t have to worry anymore. Her heart clenched at it. She was giddy with waiting for the runes to fade away forever.

They got to the Apparition point and Theo kissed her softly again. “Close your eyes.”

She did so and felt the pull of a Side-Along.

“OK open and look to your right.” Hermione felt Theo hug her from behind and gently sway her with a tingle of magic. She followed his instructions and saw all of their friends, European and British alike, on the lawn of the Embassy. She looked down and Theo had changed her outfit to the one for the wedding rehearsal. She felt a zing of excitement, and she bobbed on her feet with a squeal. It was so rare they were able to get everyone together.

“I was going to have them in here, but I didn’t trust them to be able to keep quiet for a minute at exactly 5.19pm to surprise you.” Hermione could feel his cheeky smile and laughed at how right the assumption was. Their friends were rascals and would never have been able to follow that simple instruction.

Hermione snaked her hand around the back of Theo’s neck and tipped her head back to kiss him as her other hand threaded through his own over her stomach. Hermione opened up the kiss and twisted around to face him.

She pulled back and they were both flushed, eyes dark. “Do you think we have time to ignore them for a bit?” She raised an eyebrow. Theo growled and pulled her closer but just then a screaming red-headed toddler ran into the room, followed by Ron who scooped up his son.

“Oh, hey!” Ron’s face split into a large grin. He gave them each a one-armed hug as Artie babbled on his hip. “Did you just arrive?”

Theo took Artie off Ron’s hands and let Hermione walk with Ron outside. Hermione eyed the easy way Theo handled the child, they had started conversations about having one of their own and wanted to start trying in earnest after they had moved to Nice, but Hermione couldn’t be on any kind of contraception magic for the ritual to summon Venus so tomorrow might be the fateful day.

It was so wonderful to see everyone and she joined Ginny, Lilja, Gabrielle and Pansy on some couches, gratefully taking a cocktail, a huge smile on her face and joining in on their conversation after accepting hugs from the women. Harry swooped by with little James to kiss Hermione on the cheek.

Theo had found Blaise, Giuliana, Draco and Neville. Gabrielle husband’s Emilio, Fay and Lilja’s girlfriend Nnedi were conversing nearby as well and Hermione spied Devin getting cosy with Ayano in the gazebo.

Hermione caught Theo’s eye, they smiled at each other again.

“The honeymoon never really ended for the two of you, did it?” Ginny poked her arm, bringing her back into the conversation with a coy lilt to her voice. Hermione grabbed Ginny’s hand and squeezed it in answer.

Hermione didn’t think it was possible to be happier.

* * *

It was later now, the sun had set and most of the party had retired to either put their kids to bed, go drinking or relax inside. Draco was on the balcony of his suite at the Embassy awaiting his parent’s arrival via Portkey. They were also among the nearly 400 people attending the society event of the year, the Nott-Granger wedding.

He watched Granger and Theo as they danced to a Muggle song they’d had recorded onto a magical gramophone that was in the gazebo. He could hear Granger’s laughter as Theo said something to her and spun her out and into him again.

It started to spot with rain and Draco cast a shield charm to ward the droplets off.

Granger held out her hand to the sky, looking up and smiling at the warm summer drizzle. Theo just watched her with a smile full of warmth and happiness, cupping her face and kissing her on the forehead before picking her up and twirling her. Granger squealed and Theo ever so slowly released her, their eyes never leaving each other as she slowly slipped down his body.

They were devoted, absolutely besotted. He’d honestly never encountered a couple quite so obviously in love with each other.

He hated watching but also couldn’t turn away.

The rain began to pour down soft yet heavy and Draco felt someone come to stand beside him with an umbrella.

Granger had taken a couple of steps away from Theo and opened her arms wide embracing the torrent. Theo stood apart from her taking in how free she looked. He saw his friend rub his chest where his heart was as if trying to soothe it where it was beating too fast then he slowly walked to her, both of them sodden and dripping in the rain as he kissed her. His tenderness heart-breaking before Granger pulled him by his lapels even closer to change their embrace to one of passion.

“They really are a magnificent couple, it is very wonderful for Theo,” Draco’s mother’s voice was perfectly pitched to be heard over the rain but no further.

Draco didn’t even look her way.

“They remind me of your father and myself when we were courting,” her voice held a rare warmth.

“A splendid scene for your son to imagine,” Draco’s voice was dry and cracked. He told himself it was because he hadn’t spoken in a while. It couldn’t be for any other reason.

Narcissa stepped toward him and placed a gentle hand on his back, soothing in small circles they she used to when he was younger. “That kind of love takes you to the ends of the Earth. It can lead to paradise or ruin. I have known both. I hope they don’t share the same fate.”

Draco just stared out below to the grass as the couple smiled and kissed, oblivious to everything else, taking their time adoring each other.

His mother gently pulled on his elbow away from the balcony ledge and into the suite. She sat him down on a bench and tipped his head back at her. He’d never been able to lie to her and he couldn’t stand what she would be able to see in his eyes.

“My dear Draco, I’m so sorry. I thought her being away from England and not so often in the _Prophet_ would help. But still?”

Draco looked at his hands, they were dripping, and he realised he was soaked. His shield charm must have failed at some point and he hadn’t noticed. “I know it hasn’t been… but it feels like always. I don’t know how to stop it, Mother. But I can’t go through another serious courtship until it’s gone.” He paused, he hung his head. “I’m sorry.”

His mother took his hand and he squeezed it. “Oh, darling, you have nothing to be sorry for. I’ll get your father to back down. You just take your time.” He nodded. Fuck he hated this.

“Where is he anyway?” he queried.

“He’s gone to the hotel already with our luggage. Shall we have a drink or would you prefer I joined him?” she sounded concerned. He loosened his grip on her fingers as his knuckles had begun turning white.

“A drink sounds good,” he sighed.

“Of course, darling,” she replied, slipping her hand out to attend to the request.

Draco held his head in his hands as he Occluded, taking the memory and making it small, insignificant and weightless. A unique, crystalline snowflake floating in his mind. He added it to the Unbreakable glass snowglobe in his mind, the place he put all thoughts of Hermione. He pulled back a little and put the snowglobe on his bedside table pulled back again and locked his bedroom door. Pulled back once more and set the blood wards of his Malfoy Manor mind castle.

Finally, he was able to bring his head up. “So how was dinner with the Macmillans? Is Camponius still as much of a buffoon as ever?”

She answered but the tight, worried expression never left her face.

* * *

_The next day – Friday, 18 July 2008_

“Are you ready?” Hermione asked Theo. He nodded. They were in front of the Temple of Venus, Hermione had obtained permission to enter the structure as long as they were out within an hour.

They wore green linen robes in the style of Ancient Rome to symbolise the goddess Venus with gold patterns lining the hem. This ritual was going to be the most ancient magic Hermione had ever performed, she exhaled and took Theo’s hand. He smiled down at her in encouragement.

The ruin had the crumbling remains of columns with faint artwork etched on the walls. The floors scuffed and the remainders of the temple walls were pockmarked with age. Hermione used her wand to detect a faint trace of magic on the western wall. With Theo’s other hand on the small of her back, she moved towards the source of it.

She placed her hand on where she felt the ancient power coming from and drew Theo to her.

“Is this where the fun starts?” he grinned at her, curling her hair behind an ear.

Hermione smiled, drinking in the way he looked at her like no matter what happened he would be ready so long as he was with her. Their lips met and that stuttering flutter she always felt vibrated in her. The way she felt about Theo rose up and swirled through her bloodstream, reaching her palm.

She felt the magic extend and they released each other to look around in wonder. The temple was glowing gold with enchantments sparkling all over the place. It was being restored to its former glory and the beauty of the space made both Hermione and Theo gape awestruck as they looked around. Scintillating magic danced over them making Hermione prickle with goose pimples she heard Theo’s ‘Wow’ of wonder beside her.

A water feature trickled daintily in the centre and the marble and gold accents around the room were highlighted with arrangements of roses and myrtle. Curved indentations in the walls showed where couples could join together for acts of love and small rooms that came off the main chamber provided more private areas for the same activities. Sumptuous hangings of the same green they were wearing waited to be pulled to hide giggled secrets. It was beautiful.

“Did our kiss really do this?” Theo’s words echoed in the magicked space, dazzled but still drawing himself back to Hermione like this wondrous magic was nothing compared to her.

As she looked at him and her feelings welled up and threatened to overwhelm her knowing everything they were to achieve today. She cupped his face trying hard not to cry. “No. Our love did.” He rested his forehead against hers and they shared a smile.

As would only happen today this year, a panel slid open where Hermione had imbued her love into it, gaining access to the inner chamber. Only someone very much in love was able to activate the magic but Hermione had known that wouldn’t be a problem.

The next part of the ritual would be a little trickier, but her and Theo had been training for this. Since it was so enjoyable, they trained a _lot_.

She looked to Theo again and he nodded, adjusting one of her curls around a sprig of myrtle in her hair.

They walked down the dark corridor before it turned into steps. Torches flared and died again as they made their way up a curving staircase which became tighter and tighter as they neared the top. Hermione was shaking and Theo squeezed her hand.

A tile in the roof sparkled with magic and dissipated. Hermione and Theo exited onto the roof of the temple, the city of ancient Rome laid out as an illusion before them. The sun setting and the full moon just beginning to rise despite it being mid-afternoon in their reality. The air smelled of the same myrtle and roses and there was a delightful breeze that swirled around them.

A marble and bronze altar sat in the middle though it appeared to be more of a bed than an altar.

Theo stroked her arm and they both shivered. The breeze appeared to be magical, an eddying airborne aphrodisiac.

“It’s beautiful up here,” Theo breathed, the puff of air ghosting over Hermione’s shoulder and she closed her eyes as an almost metallic clench arrested her lower abdomen. Theo lowered his head and placed open kisses along her shoulder and neck. She gasped, her scalp prickling as desire shot through her. Theo growled against her and she moaned. Everything up here was heightened as if the atmosphere itself was charged with _Desiderium_. Hermione leaned into where Theo stood behind her and raised a hand to run a hand through his hair.

“Oh fuck,” Theo cursed and brought his hands around Hermione to pull her even closer. “This mentioned in your research sweetness?”

Hermione could feel his voice reverberating through his chest and vibrating on her back. “Ohh,” she sighed then swallowed purposefully. “No, Devin and I only found tidbits in various sources that through hard work and context clues we’ve managed to put together into the order they are supposed to be.”

Theo nuzzled along her neck and she tipped her head back to land against his chest. “So, what’s next?” He smiled as he nibbled her ear lobe. He knew, he just wanted to hear her say it.

“The rest of the fun part,” Hermione met his eyes and he picked her up, locking her legs around his waist and kissing her. Her nerves electrified and came alive. Theo had started walking them to the altar but stopped when he obviously had the same reaction as her, claiming her even more fiercely, their lips bruising each other in their need.

Hermione pulled away and Theo connected along the expanse of her throat thrilling her as his hand pressed against the collection of nerves in her back that pulled at her core with blooming pleasure. “Oh gods, Theo. We need- to get to.. to the altar. Please,” her breath got caught several times as she forced the words to be coherent.

Almost mechanically Theo walked them forward and placed her on the marble that surprisingly felt like thick furs, the silky strands wending through Hermione’s fingers. Theo crawled over her and lay his body on hers. This wasn’t part of the ritual but Hermione felt so fantastic and her skin sang everywhere it met Theo’s, so she lost herself in his touch for a moment. His hands wound in her loose curls, hers exploring along his back, luxuriating in the change of sensation going from skin to linen.

Pulling back from their kiss, Theo looked at her, caressing her face with his fingers. He seemed to be taking in this moment, memorising it for its perfection.

“I love you.” It came out of him like a prayer. She felt the words rush through her like a physical sensation and she whimpered. He smiled. “I love you, I love you, I love you.”

His repetition made her eyes roll back. It was indescribable, like feathers rolling over in slow languorous motions. She inhaled one of the utterances and breathed it back at him and she felt him shudder.

“Oh gods Theo, I love you. I love you so, so much. I love you, I love you.” She punctuated every articulation with kisses and caresses. She felt him thick on her thigh, throbbing and twitching with need as he moaned divine affirmations in her ear.

They were unwilling to wait any longer and Theo lifted her into his lap as he rose to a seated position. She wrapped her legs around his back, and he elevated her to sheathe himself inside. They simultaneously moaned their pleasure to the heavens, the shining of the moon making them glow and the pinpricks of the constellations winking at them. Venus in the sky twinkling and watching, the purples and pinks of the sky caressing their skin.

Theo was shaking with the effort of not moving until Hermione had recited the words of the ritual. She raised the hands that they bound together at their first marriage. She kept them flat and held Theo’s gaze. She pulled her wand from a pocket and cast a complicated series of particular flourishes over them, trusting Theo to hold her in position.

“ _In Perpetuum et Unum Diem_ ,” she whispered, concentrating hard and a brilliant white rosebud erupted from between their palms, its thorny stem winding around their forearms. A larger thorn protruding out sunk into the underside of their wrists. Hermione gasped thinking it would hurt, but instead it was just a throb of pleasure that took her and Theo at the same time, but he dutifully didn’t move within her, the spell not yet complete.

The very bottom of the rose tinged with the first hint of a blush pink. It was working.

Hermione entwined their fingers and did the same dance of wand movement but backwards. She had to focus intently which was very difficult when Theo was seated inside her and his scent of vetiver, poppies and musk wafted over her. Slowing to make she sure she got it exactly right, she twirled her wand over the top of their hands.

“ _Aere Perrenius_.” A green glowing sphere enveloped the altar indicating their call to Venus, but Hermione barely noticed it.

She panted, staring at Theo who looked back at her with an aroused flush on his cheeks. The spell had worked, and she could feel Theo’s heartbeat pulse inside her, rushing in her bloodstream. It felt like she was laying on the shore letting the tickling of waves lap around her body as the tide came in and out. Frothing and fizzing before stroking as it pulled away again. She could tell Theo was having the same sensation.

Without speaking they began moving, rocking back and forth on one another and the outside world fell away. Their sighs and loving words echoed in the space. _Ohh… yess…. Oh gods… Hermione… love you… fuck… Theo… ohhh, yes please... Please._ The words fell in space and time like a montage of their adoration.

Every touch was incandescent. The way desire swirled through Hermione as Theo held the back of her neck. The throb pulsed with each stroke of his fingers as the green linen fell away to reveal her bare chest. It felt akin to when she lay in the dappled shade of a tree on a hot day, the sprinkling of the sun through the leaves titillating her skin, prickling and making her feel lit from within. She rocked against Theo, lost in feeling. She felt like she couldn’t look away from his eyes, she felt like she was always buried in his neck. She felt like having two hands wasn’t enough, she felt like his hands were everywhere. She felt her words were too much and too simple for what she wanted to express. She could barely do anything except feel. And all through it was love, buoying them in a bobbing sea, setting them free to glide through the sky, sinking them into the warm earth, igniting across them as they twisted from spark to pyre to inferno.

The pressure of spindling energy was coiling tighter and Hermione started moving quicker but Theo ran a finger down her back. She fluttered her eyes to focus on him, he looked deliberately at the rose between their hands before dropping his head into her neck breathing a curse word into her skin, biting down on her shoulder as he tried to hold himself away from the precipice they were hurtling towards.

Hermione saw the rose was entirely pink now but only about three-quarters red and hadn’t fully bloomed yet. They needed to give more to the goddess for her to appear. Thank Merlin Theo had the presence of mind to indicate it. She was so ready to explode she could have screwed this up entirely.

Theo’s hand brushed around her side to her lower back, pulling her closer to him and a surge of pleasure struck Hermione as the erogenous zone in her back came alight. The new sensation lancing to her core in an almost violent way. It made the red flood further up the rose and Hermione knew it was almost time.

“ _Theo_ ,” she breathed.

He knew, glancing at the rose as only the barest amount of pink remained. He began pulling her tighter and more forcefully against him and every thrust caused friction across her bud, the concentrated spark in her collapsing on itself ready to burst outward.

Then a singing note cascaded around them, an aria golden in hue and where their hands clasped, the rose and thorns heated. Every hair raised on her body, tingling as they were teased by the aphrodisiac breeze. The ritual was ready.

“Say it,” Theo demanded from her in a guttural tone.

She leant into his ear, licking the shell of it and feeling him shudder and growl. “I love you, Theo, my husband. You’re _mine_. All mine.”

Theo grabbed her by the hair and pulled her head back before plunging his mouth against her and with a jolt, they climaxed together.

It wasn’t the usual exquisite boneless feeling she usually had. This was more. This was transcendent. She could feel the atoms pass through their skin, the universe coursing through her flesh, touching her very soul. She felt the edges of eternity, the wonder of galaxies and quarks shooting in her blood, pulsing again and again. Her brain felt so very far away which was incredible and terrifying. She felt like she could touch any part of the megacosm while knowing even her infinitesimally small contribution was a part of something grander than she had the capacity to imagine.

The only tangible thing she could find was Theo wrapped around her, but if he was saying anything, she couldn’t tell. All she could hear was the whorling infinity of the cosmos as it undulated through her.

Then she felt it focusing, something celestial and exalted was hurtling towards them. It got closer and through her floating consciousness she felt a frisson of panic. She felt stretched beyond her mortal capability, her feet feeling light years away from her head and she tumbled into nothingness.

She blinked. She looked around. They were standing before the altar, the rose gone. He glanced at her, looking like she felt. Wondrous and fearful.

“So, Hermione Jean Granger and Theodore Josiah Nott, what has brought me into your presence?” A voice came through them, it pumped desire into the air. Tantalising and made Hermione cant towards it.

They turned at the same time, drawn inexplicably to the noise. A woman stood before them. An impossibly beautiful woman with black hair, blue eyes, the most luscious pout Hermione had ever seen and high cut-glass cheekbones. She wore denim mini shorts, her long legs tempting fingers to run their length. A tied crop top showed a taut midriff and an artfully cut neckline showed the most perfect cleavage.

She waved at them, a charming sprinkle of fingers dancing by her chin. “Venus, goddess of beauty, sex, love and fertility. Amongst others, of course.” She shrugged and Hermione sighed with how gorgeous the movement was.

Hermione shook her head and fought to regain her logic. Theo squeezed her hand but still seemed incapable of speech as his throat bobbed in an audible swallow.

Hermione tried to speak but it came out strangled. Venus sighed and grew a flower between her fingers. She handed it to Hermione.

With trembling hands, Hermione cupped the flower and saw it was filled with water. She took a sip and a sweet pineapple honey trickled down her throat. She licked her lips, it was absolutely delicious. She gave the rest to Theo who copied her action. His eyes were wide as his head tipped back down. He rubbed his lips together as if to try savour every drop of the delectable liquid.

“It tastes sweet, like you.” He stated in wonder.

Theo was right. It had tasted like him to her as well. Venus stood on a cocked hip and smirked at them.

“Well, duh,” her flippant reply came as she flourished a hand and cocked a hip.

The goddess was different from what Hermione had imagined. With how old the spell was and how it had illusioned the ancient city, she thought Venus would be the epitome of Roman ideals. She looked thoroughly modern though, her features a breathtaking amalgam of the women the world found the most desirable. And very decidedly Muggle. She wondered if Theo saw the same thing she did.

“Thank you for granting us an audience with your most divine presence,” Hermione began, curtseying in deference.

Venus waved at her. “It so rarely happens that I get summoned to one of my temples now, let’s not waste our time with reverence.” She smiled and Hermione felt like she’d been stunned.

The goddess began walking around them, taking them in. She stopped when she reached Hermione’s side.

“I’m guessing you want to discuss this?” Venus traced the gold runes on Hermione. They had been under a glamour, but Venus had dismissed the spell as if it were made out of cobwebs.

“Yes.” Hermione raised her eyes to Venus’ now-brown ones. Hermione noticed her skin colour and eyes oscillated through the hues found all over the globe, her features looking perfect on every iteration. “We are hoping to appeal to your benevolence and have the spell removed.”

“Oh sure!” Venus smiled again and Hermione inhaled quickly before forcing a slow exhale. Theo squeezed her hand again.

“I just need a teeny tiny sacrifice and I’ll sever the hold the magic has over your little isle over there.” Venus pointed to where they knew Britain lay. It felt like the world had tilted into a birds eye view. Hermione could _see_ Britain’s lights cascading over the collection of islands. Then she was brought back to the rooftop with a slight dizziness. Venus turned back to them slowly, waiting for their answer. Hermione shook her head slightly to erase the wobble in her brain.

“What kind of sacrifice?” Hermione’s voice shook.

Theo stepped closer to her, “Just breathe, Mione.” He stroked her arm and Venus watched him, her long lashes following the movement intently.

“All I need is the love of your soulmate. If you were to sacrifice their love to me, I will dissolve it.”

Hermione and Theo looked at each other. They smiled at each other in relief. Devin had told them that Draco didn’t want to feel for Hermione. They would be able to give him his wish as well as save themselves and the rest of Britain from the clutches of this spell.

Venus was still, waiting and watching carefully.

“Just to clarify, nothing terrible will happen to my soulmate? It will just take the love away? He will be unharmed otherwise?” Hermione knew she needed to make sure they got exactly what was necessary in explicit terms. Her brain felt fuzzy, the aphrodisiac still heavy on the air and the remnants of the soul-quaking orgasm still flitting within her.

“Yes, all that will happen is I absorb his love, but he will be mostly unchanged. However, he will find it very uncomfortable and even disturbing to touch you. But once I have the sacrifice, I will dissolve the spell and there will be no more Transit of Venus.” The goddess struck her with a beatific smile that radiated through Hermione, a flurry of desire eddying around her.

Hermione thought about it. She highly doubted Draco would ever want to touch her after he was free from whatever compulsion he currently felt for her. A small quake of nervousness stung her, but she still believed it was worth it.

“I accept, thank you. Thank you so, so much,” Hermione faced the goddess again. She was blessed with that most lovely smile for a third time.

“You’re welcome,” Venus’ voice was kind and soft. “Close your eyes, this can be a little odd.” The goddess sounded contrite like she didn’t wish the slightest discomfort upon them.

Theo smiled at her again, a palpable relief on his face and quickly kissed her on the lips lingering there. He rested his head on hers. “We did it, Mione. Gods, I love you so much, my amazingly clever, clever wife.”

She smiled back and Venus raised her hand in front of Hermione’s face and lowered it slowly. Hermione felt her eyes close. A warm hand pressed on her left breast above her heart. It warmed against her and Hermione felt magic pulling on her. She smiled and sighed in relief.

This was it. She would finally be free of those godsawful runes that taunted her everyday when she glamoured them. She would be married to Theo later tonight and be able to say ‘my husband’ in public. A sigh escaped her lips in yearning. Forever. Her wonderful, gorgeous, lovely Theo would be hers forever. Their final obstacle gone.

Venus’ touch was so warm and she felt the goddess send sprinklings of divine energy through to her core where she throbbed with love for the man beside her. She watched their lives play out in her imagination as Venus worked her enchantment.

A choking noise interrupted her thoughts. Hermione’s eyes flew open. Venus’ face had contorted into the cruel animalistic beauty like that of a tiger, her blue-again eyes fiercely boring into Theo’s green ones. Her fingertips were in her chest. Hermione screamed and tried to get to Theo, but Venus was a goddess. Flinging out an arm, she trapped Hermione in another green dome of energy like on the altar. A magnificent force struck her to the ground, like gravity had just multiplied by a monumental amount, Hermione felt her head smack the ground. She struggled, but the world warbled around her and the force upon her was unrelenting. She couldn’t move as the air around her tried to force through her to shatter her bones. The pressure so extreme she couldn’t even scream at the pain of it.

Hermione could only watch dazed as Venus extracted a glowing gold orb from Theo’s chest.

Hermione tried to scream again, but her lungs didn’t have the capacity to draw breath. The goddess had disarmed her as well and her wand lay between the orb and Theo. Hermione fought to even breathe, tears streaming down her face. She didn’t understand.

Theo stumbled back against the altar, sliding down it. He was clutching his heart, but he didn’t have any wounds. He was staring at the goddess, chest heaving.

Hermione continued to try and draw a breath, her airway constricted, body paralysed, lungs burning. Venus closed her fist over the gold orb, and she watched as it disappeared in the goddess’ body, travelling down her arm and coming to rest at the centre of Venus’ being before slowly fading as it was absorbed.

The goddess sighed in satisfaction. Then she produced a pair of large golden scissors and walked in between Theo and Hermione. She conjured the magical bonding string that connected the two of them from their first wedding and brought the scissors up. Hermione redoubled her efforts to do something, anything to stop this. Theo looked too weak, as he slowly collapsed further, easing on the flat of the roof and twitching.

Venus cut the cord and Hermione saw Theo violently shake as did she when the golden thread frayed and broke between them. Hermione felt the rush of the bond leave her and everything in her splintered. As if her bones had cracked and exploded.

The goddess flicked the green barrier away and Hermione felt the pressure disappear. She sobbed and gasped for breath, coughing and choking.

Hermione picked herself up slowly but with as much haste as she was able, everything screamed with hurt, she could feel her bones creaking against her muscles and her heart was beating like it was trying to jump out of her chest, desperate to save its mate. She hurried to Theo. He looked at her confused.

She placed her hands on his face, “Oh no. Oh Theo, are you OK?” Hermione was crying and she was panicking. She moved her shaking hands over him, checking to see if he was alright.

Theo winced and hissed. “Stop, please stop, Hermione.” He pulled away from her.

“What do you mean?” she looked at him, but something was very wrong, his usually shining brightness was gone as he looked at her. He cast his eyes downwards.

“It- it hurts when you touch me.” He looked wretchedly at her, reaching out on instinct but pulled back. Hermione moved her hands away from him, a sob wracking through her. Tears streaming down her face. Quietly he clarified, “It’s not exactly hurt, just raw. When you touch me it feels like someone has frayed all my nerve endings and… “ he shook his head unable to finish. “I’m sorry Hermione. I’m so, so sorry.”

“No, Theo. No... please. This can’t be real.” Hermione’s next words stuck in her throat, lumped there as if begging not to be birthed into the world. “Is it true?” She sobbed. “Do you not love me anymore?”

Theo didn’t answer which was more than enough and Hermione broke. She felt like her chest had been cleaved open, her heart exposed to the elements, charring as it tried to burn away. Theo placed a hand on her arm but could only manage it for about four seconds before he yelled a curse word and removed it, shaking like she had given him a violent shock.

“What did you do?” Hermione’s voice caught on the words. She turned her head to Venus.

“Exactly what I said and exactly what you agreed to, of course! I was even nice and severed your bond, it’s a very difficult process otherwise.” Venus was all bright and smiling again but now it made Hermione’s skin crawl, the traitorous desire-fuelled zephyr flurrying around and mocking her.

“But… it wasn’t supposed to be Theo,” Hermione whimpered hating how pathetic she sounded.

“Oh, you thought it would be your Fates-woven soulmate?” Venus simpered at her, rolling her eyes.

“Of course that’s what I thought,” Hermione’s words were miserable. Her nails broke skin on her chest as she tried to clench her heart. She collapsed into broken tears again. “What else could it possibly have meant?”

“You silly mortals,” Venus’ voice was light, and she took dancing steps towards Hermione. “Yes, my magic names your soulmates, the ones woven into the fabric of destiny by the Fates. But you pesky humans also have free will. Ugh, honestly it’s _sooo_ annoying.”

“Free will?” Hermione pushed through her panic and tried to figure out what the goddess meant. “You mean I chose Theo as my soulmate?”

“Yes. He still doesn’t count under the bonds of the spell though. Don’t worry you’ll still die if you don’t satisfy the Transit,” the goddess laughed. “I’m sure you’ll want to die even more now that you’ve lost him.”

“But- we had a deal. Even if you stole Theo’s love for me, the Transit spell should be dissolved, right?”

“Oh, yes. The deal is still on and you’re right there will be no more Transit of Venus spell… after this cycle.” Venus steepled her hands elegantly, her body turned sideways to Hermione, face tilted seductively towards her.

Theo spoke to her. “Hermione, maybe we can get it back. I remember what our love felt like, but now there’s just this gaping hole where it was. Maybe this awful raw feeling will fade in time and I can fall for you all over again.” He sounded desperate and Hermione wished she could reach out to him, his palm was still red and near blistering from the last time he’d tried. “I’m your soulmate, you chose me. We can do it again.”

Venus laughed again and Hermione hated how pretty it sounded. “Oh no, you will never get it back. Any love you try to feel for her belongs to me now. That empty feeling for her will stay with you. Always.”

Hermione clutched at her stomach, she thought she might be sick. “Why did you do this to us?”

Venus stilled and became that dangerous type of beauty again. “I helped you. I did as you asked, it’s not my fault mortal hubris got in the way again.” The violence in her voice whipped across Hermione, a rumbling in the air that told her to tread carefully. But then Venus brightened again. “Well, maybe I could give you a more thorough explanation. I have a fun little monologue for you. Just like in your human movies.”

She clapped her hands and did an excited little hop. “Ooh, it’s never me that gets to deliver these! It’s normally Zeus or Hades or Athena. How fun!”

Hermione was now sitting on the ground clutching one hand to her decimated heart and another to her stomach. Her innards feeling like protective friends that wanted to crowd the organ that usually gave them life. It hurt. Everything hurt so very much. Venus was right, she wanted to die.

She couldn’t bear to even glance at Theo. The pity and lack of love in his eyes might send her over the edge into catatonia.

Venus had pushed as if collecting a memory then she began speaking. “I suppose all of this begins with Cressida Malfoy. She was only seventeen when she did the spell, you know. A wondrous feat for a witch so young. She was an incredibly talented seer and astrologer.”

“Cressida _Malfoy_?” Hermione gasped, another course of hurt rolling through her. She was going to learn something she didn’t want to again.

“Yep! Now shut up and listen. See, Cressida could see darkness coming, wizards rising with want for dominance and power. She wished to circumvent this, but the British wizarding population was dwindling. Cressida strongly believed that wizards needed to find a way to bolster their numbers, create magically powerful children to help defeat these uprisings. She actually wanted wizards to couple with non-magical folk to achieve this, but you can imagine how that went over in the 1870s and with her family.”

Venus scoffed like the notion was ridiculous, but it wasn’t for any outrage for the prejudice but rather an incredulity that mortals would squabble for distinction amongst themselves when they were all clearly nothing when compared to her.

“Anyway, her brother was studying at a magical university and found a scroll of my magic that Apollo gave to the Delphic Oracle. Cressida translated it and found the answer to her distress. However, she thought it was cruel to subject the fate of every witch in Britain for perpetuity to the magic of the Transit so she spent the rest of her life devising a way to bring an end to the spell. She succeeded.”

Theo managed to rouse himself enough to interrupt Venus’ diatribe. “And will whatever it is save Hermione?”

Venus smiled at him. “It’s so hard to let go of the protective instincts isn’t it? Don’t worry, without your love to sustain them, they will fade eventually as well.” Theo just stared at her, he looked like he was trying to seem as heartbroken as Hermione but there was nothing in him that warranted the feeling.

“And the answer is of course it _would_ have saved her. You see, if you had just put faith in my friends the Fates, everything would have been fine and dandy. If you’d just consummated the bond with Cressida’s last remaining ancestor, then you would have been free of the Transit spell entirely.”

Another doubling of pain hit Hermione. “What do you mean?” Her voice sounded so pathetic but she couldn’t bring herself to care anymore.

Venus giggled. “It’s quite funny, really. Well, to me at least. See, Cressida worked her magic into a particular event, a total solar eclipse. It was her last act upon this world as the magic required the forfeit of her soul in order to tie her blood to that of another. Though you were premature in your birth, probably a side effect from the magic, she cast the spell on February 26, 1979, the day you were conceived Hermione Jean Granger.”

A ringing sounded in Hermione’s ears. That was true, her parents had told her about it. They were at a dentistry conference in Willimantic in the U.S. and had been able to catch the band Dire Straits there on their world tour. Her mother still had the T-Shirt they’d purchased at the concession stand.

“Cressida used her life to rewrite your Fate tapestry, to link it solely to her own line. The child born that most magical day with the most magical potential. You would be the soulmate of the eldest Malfoy of age when the next Transit happened. And once they hit puberty, they would want to seek you out, guaranteeing a union. Or so Cressida thought. It’s quite possible that before she completed this spell, she saw an entirely different future, one where this plan of hers actually worked. However, once you mess with the Fates, you’ve messed with everything. I wonder if her last thoughts were of the new path she had wrought, maybe she despaired to see what she had done.” Venus shrugged as if it was just an idling curiosity.

“The union of Cressida’s blood and this re-Fated child would make the magic cancel out, dissipate entirely. But you, Hermione Jean Granger, with all your research and determination and brilliance came storming up here with your own plan. Loathe to dive into exactly why the young Malfoy feels so strangely, you decided to ignore his rather obvious pain and summon me instead. A much more difficult path than the one the Fates were screaming at you. And now the cycle will be no more after this one has concluded, sure. But the cost you've paid is so much higher, don't you think?”

Hermione was numb, her pain going past being able to be physically felt. She felt it deep in her soul crumbling it at the edges.

“Has Draco lost being drawn to her now that we've completed the sacrifice?” Theo’s voice carried concern for his friend and it slashed Hermione’s heart like a knife harshly replacing the numbness. He hadn’t sounded like that when asking about her.

“No, Cressida had again done a great disservice to her family. Seriously, such acts of hubris cannot help but go awry, I don’t know why mortals are so fond of exhibiting it. But oh well, your friend will continue to burn for her, and it will have gotten worse with her rejection of the runes. But let me make this clear Hermione Jean Granger, you are _his_ soulmate, but he is not yours. When I said that you rejected the runes, that was correct, and you have all but damned yourself with the action if you will not take him.” Her words beat at Hermione who was already feeling such an intense self-loathing for her actions that she just gathered the admonishment and hoarded it with her own swirling flagellations.

She knew Venus’ words to be correct though, it described how she felt about the runes and she suspected she wasn’t the only one. She remembered Olly’s sad smiles to her during the Malfoy benefits on Cho’s arm. He never looked happy though she looked ecstatic with him. And Malfoy’s behaviour had worsened when the Transit happened, he had largely ignored her before then only insulting her when they were forced to interact.

A realisation hit Hermione, “You’re punishing us. You could have done this another way, but our act of hubris offends you and this is our punishment.”

“Clever girl. Myself and the Fates thought it high time _someone_ pay for utilising and manipulating our magics without nary an offering. The lack of xenia your kind has displayed is abhorrent. I may be Roman but the customs of hospitality are still of the utmost importance to us.”

The goddess was growing angry and bored, she’d taken away the aphrodisiac breeze a while ago as well. Hermione had been too distracted to notice properly. She still had so many questions that needed answering.

"Venus, please can you explain-"

Venus stepped away and threw over her shoulder. “I tire of your company and there is a first-time Wiccan in America begging for my favour to help her seduce some idiot whose idea of entertainment is to throw frozen bird carcasses into a woodchipper.” And then she was simply gone.

Hermione looked at Theo who glanced back sympathetically but dry-eyed. He couldn’t cry, he had no feeling for her in his heart to conjure such a reaction. Hermione buried her face in her hands and sobbed again but managed to wipe her eyes and shakily pick up her wand. She edged closer to Theo, but not enough to touch him and she cast a diagnostic charm. He would need to go to the hospital for his hand and they might be able to try and help to replenish his magic which seemed to have been depleted quite severely by Venus wrenching his love out.

Hermione’s wand beeped indicating they only had five minutes to get out of the temple.

“Can you walk, Theo?” she asked quietly.

He used the altar to help push himself up. Taking an experimental step he managed it, but he was very shaky.

“We can’t get married, Mione.” His voice was careful, nice, soft. It wasn’t what it was supposed to be. No longer doting or loving.

Her tears blurred her vision again and she cried silently only able to nod. She knew.

“I remember it all,” Theo continued, his fingers twitched in wanting to comfort her but knowing it would only make it harder. “I remember that all I wanted from my life was to love you forever. And I loved you so, so much. More than I ever would have thought possible. And I don’t really know what’s going to happen, I don’t know if you’ll want to see me or if you’ll need space, so I just want to say this: thank you. Thank you so much for loving me for the way you do. Every day with you was the best of my life. As often as I told you then I should have told you tenfold. And I’m so, so sorry.”

Hermione broke down again, she would take a thousand _Crucio_ ’s over this feeling. She realised that his marriage bond was strewn on the ground and no longer on his wrist, now a dull flaxen colour, disintegrating before her eyes. Hers was still bright gold and tight upon her, the frayed edge pulling towards Theo and Hermione made it invisible again, not able to deal with the visual reminder of her magic yearning for his so much.

“We need to go, can you manage?” her voice broke on almost every word. The constricted anguish in her throat making her feel strangled.

Theo nodded and they made their way down the steps again. And as soon as they entered the first chamber the restoration magic disappeared, and everything was in ruins.

Hermione could see Devin eagerly waiting for them outside, ready to update them on the wedding schedule and get them to the private island their luxury villa was on for their nuptials. He started towards them, but Hermione held up a hand and he stopped.

She turned back to Theo. Shaking, she took off her sunstone ring and held it out, but he shook his head.

“If you want to keep it, please do. I’ll always cherish our time together and I want you to have that to remind you how deep my love for you was. Please,” he sounded sad like the reality of everything was catching up to him. They had 400 people eagerly awaiting their arrival.

Hermione put it back on, unsurprised that she was crying yet again.

“You’re never going to stop being my soulmate, Theo,” Hermione forced herself to say everything she thought she needed to since who knows when they would see each other again after today. She didn’t think she’d be able to handle it.

“I’ve had such a beautiful life with you, and I am truly blessed to have known every piece of you. You’ve brought a joy to me that I had never known before and I am so grateful to have received your care, attention and love.” Her quiet voice cracked but she carried on, wishing she could see him properly, but the tears kept coming. “I don’t know how to stop loving you and I don’t know if I ever will. But I will treasure every day that I love you because what we’ve had has truly been so special to me, my- no, sorry- you wonderful, incredible man. I’m going to miss you everyday with every single thing I do because I never once pictured my life without you in it.”

She was wrecked, flayed open and wounded to her core. She took a deep, shaky breath determined to have one last memory of him standing clearly before her.

“You need to go to the hospital, Devin will take you. I’ll go to the wedding and sort everything out. I’ll get Draco to find you at Augustine’s Healing Centre, OK?”

Theo was looking at her like he was doing the same, memorising this, their most likely last interaction together by themselves. “Could you send Blaise? I don’t think I can handle seeing Draco right now.”

And that was it. Her last conversation with her Theo. Gone forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note to her characters: 
> 
> Hi Theo. I'm really sorry. I wish things could have turned out differently and in an alternate universe you and Hermione get to live happily ever after. But it's not this one. You really didn't deserve to get caught up in all this. 
> 
> Hermione... I'm sorry to you as well. You warned against getting the gods to help lift the spell in the first chapter, don't you remember? But you loved Theo too much, didn't you? And your lie got away from you so badly you thought this would be the only way.
> 
> Draco, you're still an arsehole, mate. Just because she's free doesn't mean you have a shot.


	11. Half-Alive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hermione tries to survive. Draco notices.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: There is some mild suicidal ideation in this chapter. Please heed this as a warning if you need it for trigger purposes.

**Chapter Eleven: Half Alive**

Hermione beckoned Devin forward. He knew something was wrong. He ran up to Hermione and locked his arms around her.

“Hermione, what’s wrong? Did the spell not work? Merlin, you two only look half-alive.” He was frantic, squeezing Hermione’s hands tightly.

“I can’t-” she started. “Vial?”

He dipped into his satchel and brought one out for her. She extracted the memory and stoppered it. “Devin, I need you to take Theo to Augustine’s, he’s injured. Wait for Blaise to arrive and then use the Embassy Pensieve and watch that before coming to find me at the venue. Please hear what I have to say and do not ask questions right now, OK?”

He nodded slowly, he looked deeply worried for her. He must be right; she must look like hell.

“Theo and I will not be getting married today and our magical bond you performed has been broken. I will use the Portkey to go to the wedding villa and will send Blaise for Theo. Then I will be in the room we were supposed to use after the wedding, the bridal suite will be full, and I can’t handle that right now. I will need you to do some difficult things today like potentially telling four hundred people plus the press what happened once you’ve seen it in the Pensieve. I am sorry in advance and please know that if I didn’t have you today Devin, I would be so sorely at a loss that I fear I would have caused myself repeat harm. Now please, take Theo to the hospital.”

Hermione’s eyes were still watery and her voice had shaken through her instructions, but somehow she had managed it. Devin worried his lip, his eyes darting over her. Tears slipped out of her eyes and her face crumpled.

“Not now, Devin. Please. Take him, OK?”

Devin gave a small sob, clamping a hand over his mouth, devastated for her. But he nodded. “I’ll come find you as soon as I can Hermione. I can’t even… No, not now. Please just hang on until I can find you, alright?”

Theo looked at her with that new pity again, moving towards Devin.

“Go. Please,” Hermione was almost breaking again and needed time alone. Devin placed a hand on Theo and Side-Alonged him away.

Hermione took shaking uncertain steps to a bench outside the temple and sunk upon it, casting some wards so she wouldn’t be noticed. She held her wand and did what she had done every time the world threatened to overwhelm her. She set a timer for her breakdown. She had allowed herself one minute when Harry and her had tried desperately to find a way for him to breathe underwater in fourth year. She’d allowed four and a half minutes when she’d _Obliviated_ her parents. It had been three minutes the time Ron abandoned them when they were searching for Horcruxes. Three again when she’d discovered who was on her runes. Now though, she indulged herself. Ten minutes.

She wracked with sobs, her wails piercing and monstrous even to her own ears. She felt flayed, incisive cuts stripping her skin from muscle. A torture the most heinous of the Death Eaters wished they could perform. It felt like when a hangnail ripped the skin of her finger, stinging and violent, aching and burning. Like papercuts between toes, like being slashed by a serrated bread knife, the cuts jagged and rough, gaping open and threatening to spill her organs on the ground. The evilly happy shining sun searing her as her grief tried to melt the skin off her bones. She shook and jerked with seizing pain. She screamed into her hands and dug into her chest trying to get to her heart as if she needed to carry it in her hands and get the feelings out of her body.

Then her alarm went off. She blinked and she’d fallen on her side, sprawled on the bench. She took two deep breaths, they were still shaky and she didn’t feel even a little bit better but she was more lucid now.

She teleported to the Apparition point on the island and cast a Disillusionment charm on herself. She hurried to the suite of rooms on the third floor where the wedding party was staying. She walked briskly until she found Blaise’s name and cast _Alohomora_. She burst in and took the Disillusionment off.

“Fuck Granger!” Blaise yelled in surprise. Hermione was just glad he and Giuliana had been utilising the bed for once. “Blaise, Theo’s in the hospital, Augustine’s. He asked for you. I need you to go there. Now.” She spun away and Disillusioned again in front of Draco who had stepped out of his room on the opposite side of the hall having clearly heard Blaise’s exclamation. She needed to get to the honeymoon suite and wait for Devin. Her own magic was low with the ritual and grief taking a lot out of her. Her hands were shaking and she was close to collapsing again, desperately trying to tread water.

As soon as she got to the room, her vision started to black out, but she fought through it. She couldn’t fall into feeling soporous just yet. That would have to wait. It had to. Her mind replayed the horrific memory again and again. Despite her best efforts, she felt herself falling into the despair, her head barely able to stay above the surface.

She looked at the visible bond, tugging to get to Theo again and poised her wand over it. She tried to remove it, but nothing came.

And she sank.

* * *

Even from the brief glance of Granger before she disappeared under the charm, Draco knew something terrible had happened to her.

Blaise appeared in the doorway, looking for her. “What the hell was that Drake, do you know?”

“Absolutely no idea. But you better get going, she didn’t sound right.”

Blaise entered his room and Draco followed. Giuliana was zipping her dress back up and Blaise was pulling on his trousers. “Come with me, she said Theo was at Augustine’s right?”

Draco nodded. “You go, there will be a reason why he didn’t ask for me. Keep me updated,” he took the Protean charm they used out of his pocket and tipped it towards Blaise twice before replacing it in his jacket.

“I am going to find Mi-mi,” Giuliana frantically pulled on her shoes. “Something is horribly wrong, I can feel it. I will go to the bridal suite.” She kissed Blaise on the cheek quickly and left.

Blaise finished buttoning his shirt. “Right, I’ll leave too and I’ll let you know when I find out what’s going on.” He headed out to the Apparition point.

Draco knew the bridal suite was on the ground floor, but he’d seen Granger turn the other way before she’d disappeared out of sight.

He headed the same way, going to the other place he thought she might go. The honeymoon rooms at the end of the corridor. As he got there, he could tell it was heavily but clumsily warded, she was there but it was quiet inside. Or perhaps she’d also engaged a Silencing charm.

He set about removing the spells, he did so carefully so she wouldn’t realise. She must not be in her right mind because he was able to find weaknesses in her casting, bringing them down rather easily.

When everything was gone, he opened the door and slipped inside. She was in green linen robes, an ancient style and he wondered what she’d been doing. She sat on the bench at the foot of the bed. Dead eyes staring and her wand poised ready to cast something, but she was hesitating. Stepping closer, he saw she was aiming at her other wrist, where her marriage bonding thread was. He stilled, the golden magic was flapping and pulling trying to go somewhere but the ends were cut and tattered. Granger and Theo were no longer bonded.

“Fuck, Granger. What happened?” he re-warded the door, stronger than her distracted version and included some of his own devising.

She didn’t say anything, he wasn’t even sure she knew he was there. He walked in front of her and her wand arm lowered, falling limp at her side. Draco waved a hand in front of her face and she blinked slowly raising her head just enough for him to look in her eyes.

Fuck, she wasn’t Occluding. Her grip was so loose that the memories basically floated out to him, she’d obviously very recently drawn them out. Knowing he really shouldn’t, he gently sorted through them to find the beginning.

He saw the temple, felt Granger activate a runes panel, pulsing love magic through the air. The temple restored and they went to the roof. He watched Theo embrace her before he picked her up and took her to the altar. He heard sighs and endearments, moans of pleasure and felt a couple so enraptured with each other they had created a divine illusion. He watched carefully through her eyes as they edged towards making love.

 _What the FUCK are you doing in here?!_ Granger had found him. She violently pulled the memory away, but he just entered the next one. He could only catch glimpses as she fought to push him out of her brain.

_A gorgeous woman stood before them cascading through so many versions of beautiful. “Venus, goddess of beauty, sex, love and fertility”… “I just need a teeny tiny sacrifice”… “All I need is the love of your soulmate”... Hermione screaming. The goddess with her fingers in Theo’s chest. Venus absorbing a glowing orb. “Stop, please stop, Hermione”...Hermione sobbing. ”It wasn’t supposed to be Theo”...A sated goddess, cruel and stunning. ”There will be no more Transit of Venus spell… after this cycle.” An excited Venus. “I suppose all of this begins with Cressida Malfoy... she cast the spell.” A divine presence bristling. “You pesky humans also have free will.” Hermione heartbroken. ”You’re punishing us.”_

That was as far as he got before Granger blasted him, throwing him into the wall. He was back in front of her in the suite and her wand was raised at him as she stood, tears running down her cheeks. He felt all the memories pull into her castle.

She looked furious and devastated. Her chest was heaving. Her words when she finally spoke were vicious. “Malfoy, I am an ambassador. I have very sensitive information in my head, I’m allowed to kill anyone who tries to assault it.”

He’d felt how raw her anguish was and now it was evident on her face. Something in him throbbed in a painful way. Ugh empathy, how annoying. He pulled everything behind his walls since she looked like she’d crumple at the first hint of comfort.

He didn’t know where to start. So he went for the obvious. “You summoned the goddess Venus?”

“Yes.” She still hadn’t lowered her wand. “We needed to dissolve the Transit of Venus spell.”

“Of course you would want to go and ruin all the fun,” he taunted her but he saw her eyes go wild. He recognised that look. It usually accompanied a slap. She might actually harm him if he continued that way. He rolled his eyes, he rarely backed away from a challenge. “And for your efforts something happened to Theo.”

It was a statement not a question and one that made her falter, crumpling in on herself as she fell on the settee again.

“It wasn’t supposed to be him. It was supposed to be… someone who wouldn’t have cared.” The bonding thread had appeared again, still struggling to be reunited with where it thought it belonged. “It keeps becoming visible. Can you take it off? My conviction isn’t strong enough, it resists when I try to.”

She held out her wrist to him, looking at the floor.

He took his wand out and started unwinding the thread from around her arm, it tried to resist him as well but he dominated the force easily. He huffed at the inconvenience. “I suppose you’ll be forging a new one for the ceremony today. With more ridiculously sappy vows.”

“The wedding’s off.”

He stopped and the bond fell to the floor, the dull colour making it look broken and dead there.

He chuckled. “Funny, Granger. There are over four hundred of the best glad-handers and social influencers in Europe here. Event of the Year etcetera, etcetera”

“You saw it. Venus removed Theo’s love for me. That was the sacrifice she took. He no longer, nor ever will again, love me.” A panic entered her eyes. Her face fell into her hands, supporting her forehead and she tried to breathe deeply. “It’s OK. It’s going to be OK. The important thing is that every future generation of Britain will be safe from another Transit. That’s all the matters. It’s all that matters. No one died. He didn’t die. I…”

Draco was leaning against the wall she’d blasted him into letting her rant to herself. She was trying to calm down but actually seemed to be working herself into a panic attack.

“I wish she had just taken my life instead. I wish I’d died on that rooftop. It’s too painful.” She sounded broken, small, sad and quiet. Not like herself at all. She placed a stasis spell on the piece of bonding that was still on the floor. She transfigured it into a golden chain and took off her engagement ring. She shrunk the band until the hole was small enough to snugly thread through the dainty necklace. She clasped it around her neck, petting it gently. “Oh well. Four more years. I can survive four years.”

She was just babbling now. Draco’s pocket burned. It was Blaise. _Theo’s OK. Too OK._ came the first message. Then a second arrived, _Said the wedding’s off._

Draco used his wand to spell out his own, _Granger says the same._

A barrage of messages came through.

_Fuck, be careful with her, please?  
You alone with her?  
I beg you, be nice.  
Are the Potters there at least?  
Don’t do anything stupid.  
Like be you._

Draco rolled his eyes again. Blaise was so dramatic, Granger was… He side-eyed her, she was still trying to convince herself everything would be OK but didn’t seem to entertaining the idea of her death anymore. _Fucking hell, don’t worry. She’s fine_ , he wrote back.

There were a few seconds before the reply came. _Devin is on his way_.

He sighed, he should probably go get someone else.

“Granger, I’m going to find Potter and Weaslette and bring them. Just stay here, would you?”

He started heading for the door but a vice-like grip clutched around his arm. “Please. Please don’t go,” Granger was looking at him desperately, her eyes were wide and watery. She was biting her lip to keep it from wobbling. “I don’t know what to tell them yet, I’m still figuring it out.”

“So you’d rather _I_ stay here with you? Bloody hell Granger, I’m not your babysitter. You’re being so pathetic.”

He had stopped walking though so she let him go. “You don’t care enough to ask what happened. You dislike me enough that you won’t try to comfort me which I can’t handle right now. And you’re mean enough that as long as I keep you annoyed, I won’t sink into a stupor. And my being alive is enough to annoy you so I don’t have to work at it. I don’t have the energy to try at anything right now.” She slumped onto the bed.

“Imagine that,” his sarcasm palpable. “Hermione Granger not _trying_ at something. The world must be ending.” He flicked his wand at the door, changing the wards so they would only hear Devin whenever he arrived.

Granger ignored him and frowned down at the green robe she was wearing. She stood and again and opened the wardrobe, flicking over the contents briefly before pulling out a satin robe but then she grimaced and put it back.

Not understanding her methodology, Draco poured himself a drink from a crystal decanter. If he was going to be here, he didn’t want to be entirely sober. He pointed his wand at the liquid and muttered an incantation. 40-year-old Lowlands single malt, not bad. To his right he heard Granger tsk at him.

She pulled back the covers on the bed and burrowed underneath them, completely obscuring herself, then a bundle of green linen was flung out, landing on the ground and the lump in the bed moved to the bottom of it. Draco saw Granger’s head pop out. She lay on her side turned away from him, bringing a bare arm out to hug the sheets to herself.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Draco asked, rather exasperated.

“Surviving,” was her only answer. He huffed.

She tipped her head back a little to look at him. “I didn’t pack any actual clothes and the only other items in the closet are either Theo’s or a robe that has ‘Mrs. Theodore Nott’ on it. And I’m exhausted and sore and the head of the bed is where I’m supposed to be enjoying my wedding night. So, end of bed, sans clothing.” Insane logic now explained, she conjured a box of tissues and hugged them to her, turning away from him again. “You know, I can’t believe you’ve invented a spell that will tell you the age and origin of whatever you point your wand at, and you use it for alcohol.” She shook her head as if he was an idiot.

A quiet settled around them broken only by Granger occasionally pulling a tissue out to dab at her face. Draco took the time to think over what he’d seen in her mind. He’d never heard of a Cressida Malfoy, not in any of the mandatory family history lessons he’d had to take as a child. Granger had sucked away the mention of her very quickly, clearly trying to hide something. In the memory he thought that he’d vaguely heard that Cressida Malfoy had cast the Transit of Venus spell. He’d have to ask his father sometime. The spell was one only a very gifted caster could achieve. He’d have thought his family would covet the knowledge of the Transit Spell, preparing themselves for it, trying to manipulate it to the very best advantage they could.

“You haven’t asked if Theo’s OK,” Granger told him, clearly fed up with the silence, most likely not wanting to dwell on her own thoughts.

“No need to. He must be fine if you’re here. Your abhorrent saviour complex would have kicked in if he was in danger,” he saw her stiffen. “Or did you fail him, Granger?”

She flinched and gasped in pain. She started crying again. Her voice when it came was angry though. “That bitch used heightened gravity to crush me. I couldn’t get to him.”

Draco laughed. “Did you just call Venus, goddess of love and beauty a bitch? Only you could be so despicably self-righteous, Granger.”

“Oh yes, laugh. It’s just so very hilarious that the love of my life will never love me back. You haven’t once had an ounce of empathy or understanding when it comes to me, you’ll never know what this feels like.” She had rolled onto her stomach, head propped up in her hand as she glared at him.

Draco rolled his eyes again. He didn’t trust himself to say anything.

“You’ll put your neck out if you keep doing that so violently,” she deadpanned at him.

“Don’t start caring about me, Granger. I don’t want to end up in the hospital like Theo and didn’t you let Potter die once? I told you before, you’re a danger to society.” This time he pointedly rolled his eyes making it annoyingly elaborate. She narrowed her own knowing he was trying to get her mad. It was better than the weepy mess she had been.

“I suppose I don’t have to anymore do I? Care about you, I mean. I tried for Theo’s sake, but my motivation is all gone now. It’s quite possible that I will never see you again after today. Must be the best day of your life.”

“Indeed. And on top of that I get to see you at the height of misery. I’ve only ever thought I’d be with you naked and crying in a bed because you’d woken up some morning knowing you’d made a horrible drunken mistake.” As soon as he said it, he wished he hadn’t. It was too close to… everything.

She turned away from him again. “I need you to be mean to _me_ not yourself.”

“Oh yes, and why is it exactly that you need me to do that?” Draco tapped on the arms of the chair.

“Because I’ve already fought off catatonia twice and once Devin arrives, there will be too much to do. I can’t afford to fall apart right now. You being cruel to me is exactly what’s stopping me from becoming completely unresponsive. If I’m at least a little bit angry, I won’t collapse into it. I was so close before you forced your way in here.”

“Ugh, don’t make me out to be some kind of do-gooder.”

She laughed in a short, sharp bark. “Fucking hell Draco, only _you_ could ever think how you treat me is a good deed. No, I have seen that you have a rather dry wit, are creative and innovative and though you’d deny it, you’d die for your friends. And I’m actually impressed by the spells you’ve invented. It’s a rare skill to possess. But to me, you’re just awful. What you do and say to me, could never be construed to be _good_. In my self-righteous opinion,” she finished sarcastically.

“Oh Granger, you’ve catalogued my qualities.”

“A testament to my observation skills, not your ability to adequately express them.”

“So you admit to it being a very close observation then. Go on then, what else have you discovered? Hit me with more of your saccharine sweetness.”

He was teasing her, trying to goad her into exasperation but she looked like she’d been slapped, both red and pale, her eyes growing wide and she tensed, withdrawing into the sheets wrapped around her.

“Don’t… Don’t say that to me. Please be very incredibly mean to me right now.”

He paused, taking her in but it seemed to be a genuine request, so he obliged.

“I never thought you were very clever. I thought your so-called intelligence was nothing except parroted facts and figures with little to no imagination or room for debate. That a true intellectual would think outside what the established literature told them, something you were utterly incapable of. You just read things again and again until they were in your brain. That’s not intelligence, it’s repetition and good memory recall.”

She gaped at him having been shocked into silence. She sat up and had transfigured a sheet into a dress. She blinked. “That is the most despicable thing anyone has ever said to me.” She smirked. “But you made a mistake. You used a past tense phrasing, so I proved you wrong somewhere along the way.”

Draco opened his mouth to respond but there was a knock at the door.

“Mr. Malfoy, could you please allow for the wards to let me in?” Devin had arrived. He sounded choked up and Granger faltered again, her face instantly falling from smug and angry to crushed.

Draco eyed her and stood up, he slipped out the door, purposely closing it behind him. Devin looked at him with confusion. He was slightly shaking, and his eyes were red-rimmed.

“You saw what happened I take it?”

Devin nodded, looking nervously at the closed door behind them. “Mr. Malfoy, you haven’t been terrible to her, have you? There isn’t a reason you are preventing me from entering right now?”

“Little pup, do you think if I had intentions of hurting her further than what she asked I would do it where I might be discovered by the Head of the Auror Department or worse his she-devil of a wife?”

The man looked him over even more warily. “I suppose not but that makes me trust you even less. What do you want?”

“I need you to fortify yourself. She won’t be able to handle it if you don’t get stuck straight into what needs doing.”

“ _You_ need me to fortify myself?” Devin raised an eyebrow.

“Fuck, you know what I mean. She needs you to fortify yourself.”

Devin appraised him again. “You’re close to breaking, aren’t you? I can see you Occluding so hard you can barely hold it together. You… you’re distraught for them.”

Draco bristled, narrowing his eyes. “And you need to pull everything in tighter. You’ll be useless to her otherwise.”

Devin retreated inward briefly and came out without the tremor in his hands and a more professional air to him. Draco nodded and changed the wards to allow him entry.

Devin opened the door but before it closed again, he heard Granger call out to him, “Draco?”

“Fuck, _what_ Granger?” he exhaled, exasperated.

She looked at him with sincere gratitude, “Thank you.”

He scrunched up his face. “Ugh, you’re so needy.”

He pulled the door shut but not before he heard a small puff of amusement. He hurried back to his room, hands shaking and breathing erratic as he tried to hold himself together. He grit his teeth, yes he’d had quite enough of the witch for one day.

* * *

The next month felt like a blur to Hermione. She’d heard later that a ripple of magic had affected Britain after their encounter with Venus. Those who had satisfied the conditions of the spell had their runes turn dark green instead of the usual silver or gold. Devin had drafted a press release that Hermione and Theo had discovered a way to break the Transit of Venus spell and ran with a narrative that they had made an incredible sacrifice to save the future generations of Britain.

Giuliana had roped in Nnedi and Gabrielle to move the wedding guests into the reception where Giuliana made an entertaining toast to Theo and Hermione touching on what had happened and teasing that everyone should read the papers in the morning but to enjoy themselves, kicking off the party. The guests got to do what they were there for, attend the Event of the Year which was now also Shock of the Year and network with each other while dressed to impress, eating and drinking only the finest offerings money could buy.

The hospitalisation and heartbreak angle captured the imagination of the press and public alike. Hermione had grateful well-wishers send her gifts and letters constantly and she’d heard it was the same for Theo. Devin had reported he’d healed well and had diverted his business back to England. He was currently staying with the Malfoys. Narcissa had reached out to Hermione but she’d only sent back bland platitudes thanking the woman for her concern.

She and Theo were being hailed as heroes and had received commendations from the Ministry of Magic. Hermione’s reputation in Europe had reached even greater heights with the papers there picking up the story as well.

She’d only seen Theo once; at the joint press conference they had held to answer carefully fielded questions chosen by Devin. She’d Occluded as hard as she could and taken potions and medicine recommended to her from a Healer and a Muggle doctor, but it hadn’t been enough and 15 minutes before the conference was due to end, she’d had to leave as she started crying again. Her devastation playing out across headlines in a multitude of languages.

She went to Nice and threw herself into her new position in the European Wizarding Council, working almost all hours of the day, usually collapsing for three or four hours at night before getting up and doing it all again. Her focus was intense, preventing her mind from wandering. She had already joined six committees of causes she was passionate about and had drafted four proposals to raise at the next convenings of the Council.

Devin took it upon himself to organise a rotating roster of her friends to stay with her. To be there when he couldn’t, having decided to live with Hermione until he trusted that she could look after herself. She should have been angry, but it was so blindingly obvious that he was right she didn’t even question it once.

Harry and Ginny had been first, though she only barely remembered Ginny up at one am most nights making food and forcing her to have at least a quarter of it while she read obscure International Statutes or transcripts of previous committee meetings. Harry would make sure she took her Muggle medicine, an article had come out detailing the potions she was taking, one of her Healers clearly having been bribed. So she’d started seeing a Muggle doctor and a psychologist exclusively instead. He would also rub her back until she fell asleep which usually only came after she’d sobbed for at least twenty minutes. Sometimes when he thought she was finally asleep she could hear him sniff as he cried for her, whispering apologies that he hadn’t been able to help.

Ron and Fay had been next. Fay anticipating her needs and Ron cleaning up after her, but they hadn’t been able to spare more than a few days with work and their children. She would sometimes find them wrapped in each other on her couch, embracing as if seeing Hermione’s grief was a portent of what they would look like if something happened to either of them.

Lilja looked after her at work, checking in on her when Devin’s new position made him unavailable. Gabrielle and her husband stayed after Ron and Fay left but they were awkward and stilted with each other the whole time despite trying to help and eventually Emilio left early. Hermione thought there was more going on than they would admit. Then Pansy and Luna had blown in, Pansy’s brand of comfort feeling a lot more like bullying, but she did force Hermione to take more care in her appearance. Luna made her odd tea concoctions Rolf had taught her that helped stave away the nightmares.

Giuliana came and surprisingly brought Blaise with her, Hermione thought he would have stayed in England with Theo. Their method to help Hermione appeared to be shocking her out of her near-fugue state by having her catch them fucking on a new piece of furniture almost every day. She’d started conjuring scorecards for them which was the first glimmer that her sense of humour was returning.

Slowly, her work immersed her in complex and fascinating projects, functions, conferences and convenes of the Council. The hollow pit of despair that something fundamental was missing in her life eased slightly. But it didn’t alleviate much, she just learned to live with it being there.

June 6th, 2012. That was her new mantra. June 6th, 2012. June 6th, 2012. June 6th, 2012. She would work as hard as she could until June 6th, 2012. She would petition for change, propose legislation, engage in philanthropy, represent Britain in the council to the best of her ability, tear down barriers, love her friends and put her all in everything, crusading for as much success as possible. Until June 6th, 2012.

It would be the end of living half alive. Finally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next update: 7/2 NZT


	12. Inevitable

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inevitable conclusions. Inevitable disappointment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are nearing the end of this story. After this there will only be three more chapters. Thank you for everyone who has reading this story. It will be the first time I finish a WIP and I've loved the theories and interpretations.
> 
> I have also made a Spotify playlist to help me finish the last chapter. If you want to check it out: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0gz4USBbTnmlbidFHIHkZC?si=pk5D-ciyQCC_3BpYUh7ZNQ
> 
> The playlist has a song for the beginning and end and a song for Hermione and Draco per chapter each.

**Chapter Twelve: Inevitable**

_Nine weeks later, Friday, 19 September 2008_

Blaise had just returned from Nice and somberly walked into Draco’s club. Ron and Fay were there since it was date night and Fay’s parents had little Artie and Fenella. Draco eyed his friend. He looked exhausted.

“Blaise. Merlin, how is she?” Ron’s voice was tight and Fay gripped his hand.

“Well, we finally got her to laugh. Just the once, yesterday. Though Giuliana and I had to get her to walk in on us pretending to do a Granger and Snape detention scenario. She gave us a 9/10 for imagination though.”

Fay laughed but Ron looked horrified. Draco screwed up his nose at the thought of Blaise acting as his godfather in that capacity.

“Y-you- how? Why did you- Scorecards?” Ron sputtered, attempting to build a sentence.

Blaise shrugged. “First two days, she didn’t even acknowledge that we were there. Every question we asked from ‘How are you?’ to ‘Do you want something to eat?’ was just answered by her saying that Devin should know. Always buried in some fat wad of documents and never once realising there had been a change of guard. But the third day, she came home earlier than we thought and she caught us messing around on top of all her precious binders and notes.”

Fay and Draco laughed imagining Granger’s face and Ron paled. “She can’t have taken that well.”

Blaise chuckled. “She just blinked and said she didn’t realise I was there. Which you know, hurts a bloke’s feelings a bit. But since it was a reaction of sorts and she actually sat and had a drink with us, we kept it up. She started scoring us the next day. But she only laughed when she heard Giuliana’s godsawful attempt at sounding like her in this bizarre half- English, half-Italian accent. And having gone to Beauxbatons she had no idea what Hogwarts was like obviously, so all her references were wildly incorrect. ‘Oh Monsieur Znape! Oddio! Ah know ah failed ze Alkhemie tezt boot ztop heeting me wiz your bahdger!’”

Blaise saluted to the guffaws from the table as he recreated the scene replete with a breathy falsetto of Giuliana’s failed impression of Granger. “To be honest it did nothing for me, but it made Granger laugh, so mission accomplished.”

“Who’s staying with her now?” Fay asked, wiping tears away from her eyes as her laughter died.

“Only Devin and her bodyguard-” he stopped and took a slow drink.

“Granger needs a bodyguard?” Draco raised an eyebrow. Ron and Fay looked surprised as well.

Blaise rubbed the back of his neck. “There was a kind of... incident I suppose you could call it. They want to keep it quiet out of the press in case others get a similar idea." He took another drink. "Mione has been receiving death threats from someone pissed off about this protection of indigenous land proposal she is putting forth for magical creatures that will span all of Europe if it goes through. Whoever it was sent a Howler laced with a poisonous gas in it. They got her a bodyguard after that. She was fine. Apparently she cast this void space spell to suck it away.”

“ _Exsorbeo_ , I’ve seen her cast it before. It’s one she created. An elegant bit of magic, really.” Draco admitted.

The table stared at him. “What, I can’t compliment the witch?”

“Well yeah, mate. That’s what we’ve been asking _you_ for years. Honestly didn’t think you were capable of it,” Ron was looking at him like he’d grown three heads.

“Anyway,” Blaise continued. “Now she has a bodyguard, this hulking Brazilian that made Giuliana go spare, I tell you. Pretty much had to chain her up to get her to stop crawling over him. And now Mione’s being hounded by some boffin to study the spell. Not to mention everyone in the Council is all impressed how she reacted so calm and seems so unperturbed by the whole ordeal.” A crease of worry ran over his face.

Draco picked up on it, “What is it, Blaise? You seem to think that isn’t such a good thing.”

Blaise bobbled his head like that was true. “It’s just… she’s probably Occluding like mad to stay sane while at work. But I also kind of think she just doesn’t care if something happens to her. She’ll try get herself out of danger if she has to, but I don’t think she’d fight tooth and nail for it. There’s this air of inevitability about her. I don’t know, it’s early days still. Maybe it will fade in time or if she starts dating someone else... Anyway, she was rather adamant about no one being with her today aside from the puppy and that tree of a bodyguard. She said she needed a day to herself and warded against everything including Floo and owls once we left.”

There was silence for a bit, then Fay asked. ‘Does anyone know what _actually_ happened? Beyond the fluff they put in the papers? They made it sound like they knew the consequence of the sacrifice going in… They had no idea, did they?”

Draco was reticent to say what he’d seen. He hadn’t wanted to unpack it yet, so he pushed it away whenever it tried to get his attention.

“They can’t have,” Blaise said. “I just don’t see either of them giving up what they had. Even Hermione isn’t that selfless. And just because Theo was willing to go to the ends of the earth for her, he’s still Slytherin. He would never have agreed to that. He’d rather have died I think.”

Ron and Fay nodded. Draco played with his glass, rolling the liquid around.

“How is he anyway?” Blaise asked.

Draco quirked his mouth. “Still the same, still hates that question like we expect him to wake up someday devastated. I think he mostly feels guilty that he doesn’t feel worse. My parents are looking after him. He taught my father how to play some Muggle sport Granger introduced him to called golf and now they’re designing a course on the grounds.”

The table chuckled at the thought of that. Hermione would have been tickled to hear it.

Ron’s face dropped, obviously realising it, too. “I missed her a lot when her and Theo were in Italy, but at least then I knew she was happy and thriving. Now it hurts every time I think about her.” He grabbed his wife’s hand for support. “Do you think she’ll be OK eventually?”

There was another silence then Ron spoke up again, staring into an empty middle-space. “Because I don’t.”

Another heavy pause descended before Ron groaned, smacking a hand to his forehead. “I just remembered. Today is her birthday.”

Well, shit.

* * *

_Christmas Eve December 2008_

The only time Draco saw Granger in person for the rest of that year was at Malfoy Manor. Their friends had carried on the tradition of having a Christmas Eve party together. Theo and Granger had always joined them at whoever was hosting. Through the Potters, the group had been told Granger was unable to attend due to work commitments. Everyone knew it was a thin veil to disguise the fact that she wouldn’t be able to handle seeing Theo but didn’t want to stop him from going either.

Draco found the magnanimity of the witch to be unconscionable. He assumed she’d need as much support as she could get this year despite Devin being a 24/7 cuddle bear. He’d been proven right in this assumption, though where Granger found this support had been surprising to him.

He’d popped by the Manor to pick up a particular red from the cellar he knew Ginevra was partial to and saw his mother standing with the woman, demonstrating how a golden disk the size of a dinner plate worked. Draco watched as Granger tapped the device with her wand and luminous sparkles drifted down from the winter constellations in the sky, setting the courtyard in a pretty glow. The eddying lights never touched them but filtered around, giving Granger and his mother a pretty ethereal radiance. He could tell this was just the sort of thing his mother would covet for her next society event. He suspected strongly that this gift would be utilised at the yearly New Year’s Ball.

He moved to get closer, but a looming shadow stepped in front of him having snuck up silently and most likely Disillusioned from behind him.

This must be the Brazilian bodyguard Blaise mentioned. He understood why Giuliana had gone loopy for the man.

“Name?” the handsome block of granite asked, looking like a Greek god with chiaroscuro planing across his features.

“Draco Malfoy, this is my family’s estate-” but he was cut off.

“That doesn’t matter, if you’re not approved to approach the Emissary, I will deny it.” He flicked over a list. He tapped the page and his eyes bore deep into Draco. It made him want to lean away.

The granite spoke again. “Your name is here but you have an asterisk.”

“Well, what the fuck does that mean?” Draco drawled.

“I don’t know. No one else on this list has one.” The man’s voice was as gravelly and hard as his chiseled musculature.

“Thiago, it’s OK. This is his house.” Granger’s voice called out to them. “And in the future, the asterisk means to ask first.”

“Yes, Miss Granger,” Thiago nodded, turning to allow Draco to proceed.

Granger sighed. “How many times must I ask you to call me Hermione?”

“I couldn’t possibly, Miss Granger,” the bodyguard’s words were soft and Draco side-eyed him. Salazar’s ballsack, Granger had unwittingly made yet another person crave her.

“Draco darling,” his mother called out. She seemed unusually bright tonight. “Look at the wonderful gift Hermione brought. Won’t it just be perfect for New Years?”

So predictable. “Yes mother, it’s lovely.”

His mother looked between him and Hermione and though he subtly shook his head at her, the woman still drew the bodyguard away as far as he would allow her to.

Granger tapped her wand in various places on the disk and the silvery lights changed to a more swirling pattern of reds and blues, focusing on a nebula and emulating the colours of the far away gasses. He watched as she did another pattern and the Black family constellations currently in the sky were picked out and glowed a little brighter with winking lines connecting them. This was more of Granger’s own brand of magic. He supposed it must have been a thank you and apology gift. His mother had told him of the several attempts at contacting Granger only to receive vague missives in return.

“I trust you’ll show your mother these patterns when she needs them,” she broke the silence. The brusqueness she usually used in conversing with him was not there. She was struggling.

He shifted his feet closer to the golden disk “Are you-”

“Don’t.” Ah, there was the hard edge he knew. “Don’t go finding your softness now, Malfoy. Though changing your tone to render me so pitiable that even you would award me it is possibly the most insulting thing you could do right now.”

There was a pause.

“Funny how your friends were so quick to accept your flimsy excuse for the annual party huh? Not that I blame them, your dour attitude would probably ruin their one night all together without their spawn in attendance. I don’t think anyone really wants to hang out with you at this time of year. At least Theo can be happy.”

She gave a tiny smile and placed a hand on her heart before sliding it up to her shoulder. “Yep, that one hurt a lot actually. Merry Christmas Draco.”

She walked into the house with his mother who gave Draco a stern and appalled look. He saw Thiago add a second asterisk by his name. That couldn’t be good.

He spent a while playing with the patterns on the disk Hermione had made, changing through the different settings and finding others she had imbued into it. She had obviously figured he’d find them once he knew how the magic worked.

Purposeful, swishing steps sounded behind him and he turned to see his father looking at a silver object in his hands with an uncharacteristic grin on his face.

“Father?” Draco queried. Lucius became slightly more reserved but then extended the metal out to Draco who inspected it. “What is this?”

Lucius brightened again and took it back. “Miss Granger charmed a couple of what she called Ready-To-Tee Clubs for me and whoever I play with.” He conjured a golf ball and tapped his wand to the handle of the club and the end transfigured to what Draco assumed was the correct one needed for this type of shot.

Granger clearly knew Theo and his father had been enthusiastically playing golf together. Their now completed course was charmed to change every week and his mother and he had been subjected to far too many conversations on the topic. Draco quickly realised the overture of these elaborate gifts was probably to hide the fact she was giving a Christmas present to Theo. No one else played with his father.

Lucius swung the club, and the ball made a pleasing _thwack_ as it coursed through the air, but they lost track, the velvet black evening capturing it.

“She also said she would tell me about something called mini-golf over dinner,” Draco blinked at his father. He could be mistaken but he thought Lucius sounded… well, giddy. It suddenly struck him how influenced both of his parents had been by Granger.

“You’ve… changed,” Draco told his father who looked up at him with a quirk to his brow.

“Malfoys survive. Have done so for a thousand years and will continue to. I rather had to change, don’t you think?”

Draco simply nodded. “Hermione has had a lot to do with that though, hasn’t she.”

It wasn’t a question and Lucius chuckled softly. “It is very difficult to believe purity of blood is superior when faced with a witch such as Miss Granger. And as unrefined as she is, she is quite entertaining.” He gave an indulgent smile down to the golf club.

“You have your party to get to, right?” Lucius continued, examining his present more. He looked at the runes Granger had created and carved into the titanium, impressed with her handiwork.

“I mean, I could stay,” Draco hedged.

Lucius stilled and flicked his gaze to him. “No you couldn’t, son. Now I love you, but Miss Granger deserves the only Christmas she will have this year to be insult-free.”

“Too late,” Draco mumbled and his father sighed at him.

“Go have fun at your party, your mother and I will see you tomorrow.”

Lucius hugged him and went back inside leaving Draco to wonder exactly when it was that Granger had started working her special brand of magic on them.

Odd sensations tugged within him, but he pulled them all behind his walls and went to find that wine.

* * *

The next few years hosted a lot of change in their friend group.

In 2009, Devin had proposed to and married Ayano. They’d all travelled to Japan for the ceremony and Granger had performed the ritual just as Devin had for her own four years previously. She’d spent the majority of her time with Devin, the Potters, the Weasleys as well as Pansy and Neville while Blaise and Draco maintained a social barrier between her and Theo. Devin and Theo were still good friends, checking in on each other often and Devin had assured them Granger was OK with him being there. Blaise had been miserable over his breakup with Giuliana. Theo and himself had pulled their drunk friend away from the festivities early before he could embarrass himself too much.

They had attended the medal ceremony from the Ministry, but Granger just sent a projected image message of thanks while Theo accepted his in person. Spinning the accolade so as best to help his business while secretly hating it as a symbol of all he’d lost.

Granger’s indigenous land proposal was passed as well as a bill that magical creatures be allowed a representative on the Council if they chose to have one. She enlisted the help of Luna, Xenophilius and Luna’s boyfriend Rolf to speak to the centaur tribes of England to see if they wanted a presence to speak for them. This had included the herd that lived in the forest on Malfoy land, so Granger had joined the team for a day during the negotiations.

This had been much to the delight of his parents who insisted her one day turn into a long weekend with them. Naturally Draco had been banished from the house during this time. He’d come back the following week to find some curious oddities on his family’s lawn. Manicured greens of varying shapes with bumps and divots, as well as charmed focal points like a windmill, elaborate water features and even a pirate ship. Flagged holes marking the aim of these new additions. Lucius must have built this so-called mini-golf thing with her during her stay.

In 2010, Harry and Ginny welcomed another addition to their family, as did Ron and Fay, the women giving birth within a day of each other. He’d seen pictures of Granger in the _Prophet_ entering St Mungo’s to be with her friends.

Later that year Draco was approached by a tiny excitable man called Mortimer Baumgarten who had heard about a collection of his spells like the _Sapere Aude_ , the age and origin identifier and the magical moving temporary tattoos and wanted to work with him in researching and writing a book about spell creation and theory of magic manipulation. At first Draco had been nothing but annoyed by the man, but the elderly gentleman reminded him of a wizened Devin. After a month of wheedling from him, Draco had begrudgingly accepted the offer.

Blaise and Giuliana got back together and both of them seemed far more serious about their relationship this time around. Pansy and Neville almost got married in a lavish wizarding ceremony but took them all to Las Vegas for a Muggle elopement instead. It was crass and vulgar while also being spontaneous and perhaps too much fun. It was the first time Draco had seen Granger laugh as she used to. He thought it might have something to do with the fact that Thiago would now bear hug her and ruffle her hair.

The start of 2011 was a huge shock when Gabrielle and Emilio split up all of a sudden and Gabrielle ran off with Thiago, marrying him as soon as the divorce came through. The papers showed Granger had been there, a photo of her smiling genuinely at her friend and hugging her. Draco thought perhaps he might have been wrong about her and Thiago after all.

But he didn’t see her that year until May for Luna and Rolf’s wedding. Granger was in the bridal party looking luminous as per usual. She’d worked her way to being the Undersecretary of the European Wizarding Council, the seat directly beneath that of the Grand High Wizener. She now ranked higher than that of the Minister of Magic, technically.

The reception was in full swing and Blaise and Draco were helping to keep the social barrier up between Granger and Theo. They had managed to exchange pleasantries over the years, but their tentative friendship was fragile and tenuous, needing support from everyone to keep it afloat. This night Draco thought it might all come crashing down when Theo had stared across the room and whispered in an awe-struck voice. “Woah, who is _that_?”

Draco had looked over in the direction Theo was, startled to see Jacqueline Greengrass, the Granger-Lite Devin had dated so many years ago. She appeared to have gained some confidence but still held herself in a reserved manner. And she still looked remarkably like Granger, if you didn’t search for the bubbling passion that the other witch possessed. Draco still only saw a pale imitation.

The woman saw them glancing over and delicately blushed. She hesitated but made her way over. Draco glanced at Granger, she’d noticed. She held it in well, but everything was too tight, her arms over her chest, her too-quick laugh, the fixed tilt of her smile… She’d definitely noticed.

Granger-Lite had stopped right in front of Theo and was speaking to them, flicking a glance to Draco. “I don’t suppose you remember me from when I met you years ago with Devin?”

She was angling for a formal introduction.

“Jacqueline Greengrass, this is Theodore Nott. Theo, this is Jacqueline.” His social reflexes kicked in.

Jacqueline coloured. “I work with Rolf in the Magical Creatures Department, I was wondering if I’d see you tonight actually,” the woman blushed even more which appeared tedious to Draco, but it seemed to be affecting his friend. Draco glanced around for Granger again, but she’d disappeared. He locked eyes with Blaise instead whose brow was creased, unsure what to do. They moved away a little to nurse a drink while unsubtly pretending not to listen in.

“See me?” Theo tilted his head slightly in surprise.

“Um yes, you’re actually… um, my runes they um- When I turned twenty-one, your name was there.” The woman fidgeted and heated even more if that were possible.

“I’m safe from the Transit, so um, I’m not here for that- oh, Merlin.” She was so embarrassed, but Theo seemed to be finding it endearing, chuckling lightly. “Another set of my runes was a very good friend of mine so… really, I just wanted to, um, meet you... Anyway, I’ll be going now!” she squeaked and turned away.

Theo called out for her and Draco pushed off the table, turning away from where Theo was giving the witch his business card. He went to find Granger instead.

She wasn’t too far away, sitting outside with a countdown _Tempus_ charm on her arm. He couldn’t determine what the countdown was for but whatever it was seemed to be for over a year’s time. Watching the time trickle away, she sighed.

“Hello, Draco.” The words were bored and dry. It was always like this now. Nothing he did or said got much of a reaction anymore. She’d been so bright tonight as well, relaxing with her friends on a happy occasion. And now in front of him she was readying for the inevitable.

Draco gestured to the charm. “Forget how to count Granger?”

“Sure, you wouldn’t happen to have the Arithmancy formula for how one plus one equals two handy would you?”

Draco went to say something, but she kept talking.

“You also wouldn’t happen to know who Cressida Malfoy is by any chance?”

Draco paused, watching her carefully before answering. “The only thing I got from your memory was that she cast the Transit of Venus spell over Britain. I asked Father about her, but she believed wizards needed to mix with Muggles to create stronger magical offspring. She was disowned and blackened from the family tree. Anything she possessed as a Malfoy was destroyed. She was the last time any Malfoy heir had a sibling. But that’s all I know.”

She nodded. “I thought as much.” She waited a beat before continuing. “Go on then, why do you hate me today?” She wanted this interaction over with and was hastening it to its regular conclusion in which she asks him to insult her and then she sighs and leaves.

“I hate that you’re here at all. You create a lot of work for Blaise and I whenever you come to something where Theo will be as well.”

“Why is he here anyway?” Granger’s voice was angry. She had clearly been looking forward to being with her friends and not having to worry about him. Luna and he still weren’t very friendly. But Theo’s guilt still ate at him, and it was the only emotion he still felt in connection to his ex. He’d begged Luna to let him attend to see if Granger was doing OK, if his regret could fade. Rolf had taken his side and convinced Luna it would help. Instead, Theo had ended up torturing her more.

Granger was still looking at him, a frown set on her face. “I was _in_ the wedding party, he didn’t have to come. He’s not particularly connected to Luna anymore and he doesn’t know Rolf at all. But yes, I’m terribly sorry that _my_ attendance has inconvenienced you. I suppose you didn’t stop him so you could revel in my ongoing trauma.” She was edging into furious now. The way she was glaring at him she assumed he would have encouraged it and blamed him for it.

“And how delightful it’s been Granger, should keep me going for a while.” His answer blithe. He hadn’t encouraged it, but he certainly hadn’t stopped it either. The golden numbers of the countdown were still floating in front of her. “What is that? What happens when it runs out?”

“Despair and freedom. Don’t worry, you’ll like it.” She waved the charm away and he could tell she wouldn’t talk about it anymore. “Ranier, you may remove Mr. Malfoy now if he will not go willingly.”

A form stepped out of the shadows, their dark skin had a pale glow to it and before he could blink, the being was behind him. They weren’t quite as tall as Draco, but they beat danger out of them like a heady cologne.

A silky-smooth voice glided out of the creature for surely this was no human. “Az you vish, Meesteress Granger.” A glint of long teeth. Vampire. Granger had a fucking vampire for a bodyguard now. Obviously trailblazing her equal opportunities legislation. He leaned far too close to Draco who watched as Granger casually gazed back at him as if one wrong move wouldn’t have him gravely injured.

The vampire breathed deeply. “Mmmm, pureblud. My favvvourite.” There was an odd sound like cellophane crinkling then Draco realised it was laughter.

“Pleasure as always Granger,” Draco edged sideways away from the menacing presence. She raised a hand in a flourish that was half dismissive and half ‘til next time’.

_July 2011_

Two months after the Lovegood-Scamander wedding, Draco held one of the first prints of the book he and Mortimer had written. The little man claimed he had a surprise for him.

“Go on, Draco boy. Open it! You’ll never guess who I got to agree to write the foreword!” Mortimer was bouncing on the balls of his feet, hands clasped in front of him with his shining eagerness that never dulled no matter how sarcastic Draco was to him.

Draco eyed the man and cracked the tome open, flicking past the contents to the page Mortimer pointed out to him.

_When I was first approached to write this, I was sure I wouldn’t be able to adequately express the very many encounters I have had with Draco Malfoy. However, I knew when this project came across my desk a while ago that he would be the perfect person with whom Mortimer Baumgarten ought to collaborate._

_A first-rate researcher and enthusiast of magic manipulation and spell creation, Mortimer had piqued my interest in this work when I was once visiting Germany but alas my own commitments prevented me from further study with him. When he sent word he wanted to write a book and asked for my help, my first thought was not to my own dabbling in this particular arena but to another of my acquaintance whose skill surpassed my own in regards to spell invention judging from the various instances I have seen over the years._

_And so, I sent my friend to visit with Mr. Malfoy. I knew with that man's blend of self-taught expertise, innovation and a certain command over language that I especially associate with him, he would be just what Mortimer needed. I believed, and have been proven correct, that any work this combination came up with would not only be thorough and fascinating but lend itself to a rather whimsical sense of entertainment. A reminder that magic can be playful and awe-inspiring as well as every magical person’s austere birthright._

_Having read the book, I confess myself amused by the joined voices of these two authors through the pages. There were particular passages I could just picture Mortimer flitting around in excitement while our most serious friend Mr. Malfoy tried so definitively to remain unmoved and derisive. But you can be assured, dear reader, that behind every eye-roll was a secret smile. Mr. Malfoy, you see, enjoys himself far more than he would ever have us believe when it comes to academic curiosity. And I’m sure when he reads this, he will refute that statement quite resolutely with more flair than is necessary thus proving my point._

_But should you wish to broaden your views of magic and its possibilities, encouraging you to think beyond what established literature tells us what we can expect from magic, this book should be your first port of call. Such thinking being one of the pillars needed to call oneself a true intellectual I am told._

_Now, dear reader, I hope you enjoy this book as I did and make sure any points you wish to debate or even the slightest of errors are sent to Messrs. Baumgarten and Malfoy. I can assure you the latter of which positively delights in correcting any and all faults he finds._

_An already dedicated fan,  
Ms. Hermione Jean Granger _

He stopped reading and clapped the book shut, looking at Mortimer who looked mischievously gleeful. Teasing Draco being one of the elder gentleman’s finer delights in life.

“So Draco my boy, what do you think? Isn’t it just perfect?” Mortimer’s voice was so close to outright laughter that Draco pouted, making the giggles fall out of his co-author with a giddy abandon.

“I can hardly say anything can I? If I do she is entirely correct in her assessment.” Draco huffed.

Mortimer just laughed more and poured them a drink. “Always so negative Draco! She really said some quite wonderful things about you. She must have dug deep, mustn’t she? Now, stop sulking. I’ve been told that half our first run has been pre-ordered already, so they are organising a second printing. And I think we could talk more about the idea you had for the next book.” The man grinned cheekily at him holding out his glass.

Draco clinked Mortimer’s proffered toast. A small smile betrayed him and spread on his face.

* * *

_February 2012_

Devin was silent. He was shaking in the chair in front of Hermione. A tear slipped out and he hastily wiped it away.

“A-are you sure?” he stuttered, his voice broken as he twirled his wedding ring like he always did when he needed comfort.

Hermione nodded. “I’ve not taken any new projects since last year and will be wrapping up the still ongoing ones soon. I’ve been training my replacements for the last six months. I’m confident they will all succeed in my absence.”

Devin broke, crying in earnest. “Mione, you aren’t talking about going on holiday or taking that position on the Pan-Pacific Magical Conclave they offered you. You’re talking about the end of your life. How do you expect me to deal with this? You’re my best friend.” He leaned forward unable to control himself anymore as he convulsed with grief. They’d known this would be coming, but it still seemed to shock Devin.

Hermione came around the desk and leant on the arm of the chair, hugging him. Devin clutched onto her. She let him cry as long as he needed until he’d calmed enough. She cried as well, kissing the top of his head and stroking his hair. The dull ache in her heart that made it always feel bruised pulsed her mantra. June 6th. June 6th. June 6th.

He started breathing deeply, his shock wearing off. Hermione waved a hand to clean him up a little and conjured a glass of water that he sipped with tremulous hands.

“When will you leave your post?” His voice was quiet.

“Grand High Wizener Fjodorova wasn’t happy, he wants me to take over his position when he retires sometime in the next decade. Obviously, that won’t be happening. I’ve already arranged with Harry to stay with him, Ginny and the kids for the month of May though Narcissa has insisted I split my time between Grimmauld Place and the Manor. I’ve accepted since I don’t want to get in the way too much with James and Albus. They think I’ve taken the European representative post for the PPMC. I’ve asked them to spread the word so I can spend as much time as I can with everyone before they think I leave.” She rocked him gently.

Rainier was standing very deathly still in the corner. His head tilted at an inhuman angle as he tried to figure out what was going on inside the Silence charm Hermione had put up. She smiled wanly at him and gestured that it was OK, and no interference was needed. He would be going back to his position in the Ministry after this, but he couldn’t tell them what he had been assigned to.

“How can I cope without you? You changed my life. My career, my wife, our baby. None of that would have happened without you.” Devin sounded desperate and alone, the weight of Hermione’s news crushing him.

“I just gave you an opportunity. You did the rest all by yourself. You could have been the world’s worst assistant and been let go within the first few months.”

Devin laughed. “Instead, I just embarrassed myself by being in love with you until I met Aya.”

“Oh yeah, it seems so long ago now. You were very cute, I used to pat your head when you did good. Sorry about that by the way,” Hermione replied. Then she stilled the hand that was stroking his hair and they laughed.

Hermione hesitated but continued. “You can always contact him about this, you know. Theo, I mean. I know he misses you and he’ll be there if you need help during this. He’s kind of the perfect support system since he knows but won’t need comforting himself.”

Devin nodded. “I will probably have to take up that suggestion, it will cut down on the therapy I’ll need afterwards.” There was a pause. “You sure you can’t?”

Hermione shook her head. “We’ve had far too many awkward conversations about this as it is. You know why not. I don’t hold out much hope.”

“What about Draco though? What will happen to him? We don’t know what the magic will do.” Devin was quiet and thoughtful.

That gave Hermione pause. She’d thought about it before, but she doubted much would happen. Either he’d continue feeling exactly like he did now, or he’d be released from the spell’s grip. Cressida Malfoy wouldn’t have created the spell to harm her line irrevocably.

“When do you move to Australia?” she asked him.

“I start my new role at the end of June but Ayano’s won’t be ready until the Yokai initiative has been set up at the start of next year which works for her maternity leave. You were supposed to be with us.” He was sad again.

“I know, I’m sorry. At some point in our lives our careers would have diverged anyway, and we would separate for a while. But I do love you very much you know.”

Devin nodded. “Can we go get completely obliterated? I think I need about forty thousand drinks.”

Hermione laughed. “Sure.” She pulled Devin up and waved away the charm. “Ranier, we’re going to get blasted. Know any new places we might not have been to?”

“Zere is gud blud bahnk off Rue Auguste Gal,” he gave a wide, toothy grin making Hermione laugh at the joke before he started telling them about a speakeasy he knew.

Hermione and Devin exchanged a look and she tried to smile at him in a way that conveyed how thankful she was for everything he had done for her. But of course, it would never be enough.

* * *

_Saturday, 26 May 2012. 10 days before the end of the Transit begins_

Hermione had been having a wonderful time living with Harry and Ginny this week. Their house was chaos. Sticky, messy, loud chaos. With James, Albus plus herself, Harry and Ginny, the house was rather full, but she was happy playing Aunt Hermione and helping her friends out. She was sad that she’d miss Teddy when he came to stay in the holidays though. Between being at the Manor, answering Albus’ endless questions and trying to keep James out of trouble, as well as helping Harry and Ginny out with housework, she could scarcely believe it was already a month into her stay.

This Saturday the house was quiet, as they had all gone to the Burrow. Hermione had promised Giuliana to meet Blaise’s mother this afternoon to help convince her about dropping some of the more traditional elements of the wedding. In preparation for the indomitable force that was Signora Zabini, Hermione decided to do some yoga. It had still been part of her life over the years, though more sporadic than she would have liked. She dressed in an exercise crop top and leggings, clearing the lounge floor space from the toys the kids had been playing with that morning.

She got through six movements when Harry Apparated into the lounge startling her. She wobbled awkwardly, making Harry chuckle as he moved to steady her.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to surprise you. I just needed to grab a quick coffee before I join everyone. Needed to drop something off at the office. Come join me in the kitchen,” he cocked his head and she followed him, grinning.

“So, Arthur is finally moving on. Molly’s been nagging him for years to do it.” Hermione shook her head, smiling.

“Yep, he’s been dragging his feet. He’s so fascinated with how quickly Muggle technology has been evolving. He’s going to miss it.” Harry laughed good-naturedly.

He set to making the coffee and Hermione stretched to reach her favourite mug. Harry continued the conversation. “So, when are you meeting-” he stopped abruptly.

“Meeting Giu?” Hermione finished for him and gave up her efforts with the top shelf, wandlessly bringing the mug to her instead. She turned to Harry with a smile, but it dropped quickly as she saw where he was staring.

“Harry I can explain,” her words were slow and calm.

“Mione, those aren’t the runes I know. Whose runes are they?”

“Harry, it’s nothing, just-”

“Hermione! Whose runes are those?” Harry demanded. He was staring at her in that way she knew far too well, his Auror training ensuring she wouldn’t be able to lie.

She swallowed. “Draco Malfoy’s.”

“ _What?_ ” Harry’s voice was so quiet she almost didn’t hear it. He had gone pale. He grasped her wrist. They stared at each for a moment. The kitchen was so quiet, the whistling of the kettle sounding like a banshee scream amongst their thick palpitating silence.

Hermione gathered him to her in a desperate hug. He was in shock, his arms going around her on instinct. She could practically hear him trying to work it out.

“You’re not here on a holiday before Australia, are you?” his voice rasped.

She didn’t answer but then Harry clutched tighter at her back. “No, Harry. I’m not going to Australia.”

“Hermione… Her-Hermione-” he tried to speak but it was obvious he had no idea what to say. He just crushed her even tighter to him. He finally settled on a question. “Who knows?”

“Devin… and Theo. Unbreakable Vows, they couldn’t have told you.”

There was a beat where neither of them said anything.

“It’s OK, there’s still time. Let’s just go to his club, he’s back from his book tour now. I’m sure he’ll be there. Let’s just get it over with and- and everything will be OK.” Harry went into planning mode like she'd known he would.

Hermione pulled back and shook her head. “I can’t, Harry. I know it seems really stupid and drastic, but I just… can’t.”

“He’ll be nice, I know he will. He loves you, you know.” Harry was frantically grasping at anything he could.

“His brand of supposed love is to insult and hurt me. You know he won’t be nice.”

“How did this happen? I need to know.” Harry was breathing erratically, and his eyes had gone glassy.

Hermione eased him into a chair and brought another in front of him, holding his hand and stroking his thumb with her own.

She told him everything. From waking up with those runes, her plan, the _Prophet_ spreading her false ones, Theo and Oliver, her feeling that something was wrong. Theo finding out, the years of research she and Devin had done. The full story about what had happened with Venus, explaining the role the Malfoy family played in everything and why Draco feels the way he does. Thinking that they were sacrificing Draco’s love for her, not Theo’s, the fleeting explanations Venus gave about free will and her being Draco’s soulmate but how it wasn’t true the other way around. The discomfort she felt about sleeping with him.

When she had finished Harry had sat in disbelief. Then he slowly reached forwards and hugged her again. “I’m so sorry you went through all of that, Mione. And if there was more time, I would be so furious at you for not telling me.”

“It’s OK, I deserve it. I deserve worse. I’m really sorry. Really, truly very sorry.” She felt so tired suddenly.

“You still have to do it,” he told her.

Hermione sighed. “Harry, you don’t understand. I _can’t_.”

“Then we get you ridiculously drunk, and then you do it,” being so stoically Harry about it.

“I can’t. Especially not in those circumstances.”

“Please Hermione. For me? Don’t make me lose someone else. Please, please, please.” He looked so full of despair and panic she faltered.

“Come on, Mione. Let’s just go see him, ever since he’s been doing all this spell creation stuff, he’s really different, or maybe it started before that. I’m not sure. He’s all motivated and- and actually pretty cool now that he’s not just a layabout playboy. He still owns the club, but he doesn’t live there anymore, just oversees it. Really, we actually hang out a lot now, I can tell he’s changed. You’ve been away, you haven’t seen it. Not properly. Please. Gods, _please_ Hermione.”

He started crying and it broke her heart. “Fine. Fine, Harry. I’ll go with you to see him, but if you’re wrong, I’m out of there, OK?”

Harry blew out a huge shaky relieved breath. “OK, get changed. We’re going right now.”

She worried her lip. She didn’t hold out much hope for this outing. The inevitable disappointment she would be giving Harry weighing heavily on her. “I’ll be ready in half an hour, I’ve got to have a shower.”

As she gathered clothes from her room and headed for the bathroom, she messaged Giuliana on their Protean.

_Hey, going to be late, sorry!_

_Waaaah, bella why?_

_Harry’s forcing me to go to Malfoy’s club. Explain later._

_Oh, OK. Have fun!_

Hermione had almost put down the Protean when it heated again.

_Wait, excuse me but…_

_WHERE the fuck are you going????_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next update Chapter 13: Going to Die will be uploaded on 9/2 NZT


	13. Going To Die

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hermione is still convinced she is going to die. Everyone else tries to dissuade her from the notion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the reviews! I love reading them so much. Only a couple chapters to go after this.
> 
> Long one today, sorry. This chapter needed to get through a lot.

**Chapter Thirteen: Going to Die**

_Saturday, 26 May 2012. 10 days before the end of the Transit begins._

Draco was signing off on a stack of orders the manager of his club had brought to him when Blaise barrelled in. He grinned at the man.

“Mate, you managed to get away?” Draco asked.

“Giuliana and my mother are still fighting over every last detail. I think they’re enjoying it so much they will be very sad when we’re finally married.” He rolled his eyes. “But I’m here for a reason. Drink?”

Draco nodded. Now that he’d added more of a cocktail lounge feel to the place and extended it so there was a nice outdoors area, they opened earlier and there were already a lot of people around. The outside mezzanine and ground floor were heaving with patrons enjoying the sun and the outdoor bar there. It was cool and quiet inside though.

“Marco?” he asked the bar manager, the question unnecessary. The man nodded briskly, whipping up a couple of specialty whisky sours for the hot afternoon. “So what is your reason then, Blaise?” Draco handed the beverage to his friend.

“Giuliana just told me the most outrageous rumour and I simply had to come by and see if it is true.” He used his wand to look at the time and glanced at the doors expectantly. Nothing happened. “Well, I did come as soon as I heard. I guess I’ll just wait.”

Blaise parked up on a stool and Draco looked at him curiously. “What is it you’re waiting for?” But before Blaise could answer he watched the man’s eyes widen and felt him tug on Draco’s sleeve.

Draco turned and the doors were opening. “Salazar’s swollen bunghole,” he heard Blaise say beside him. “I never thought this day would come.”

Draco didn’t either, for there being pulled rather forcefully by Harry Potter was none other than Hermione Granger.

He hadn’t seen her in a while, probably Pansy’s birthday earlier in the year. She was stunning as ever but dressed far more casually than he was used to now. She usually wore the most elegant of wizarding robes before she had shocked the nation and resigned her position of Undersecretary. She’d quietly come back to England, living with the Potters for the past week and with his parents before that. He’d been banished again of course.

Her outfit was far more like she used to wear in her days at the DMLE: denim shorts, a flowy white blouse, ankle height combat boots, hair up in a braided ponytail. And she looked very annoyed.

Harry waved at them in greeting, smiling then frowning as he tried to tug an obstinate Granger further into the space.

“Come. On. Hermione,” he grunted as Granger leant away from his insistent grasp.

Blaise was grinning at the display. “Oh, Pansy would love this,” he said to Draco who had to agree.

“Welcome to Maleficence, Granger,” Draco drawled at her, taking a sip of his whisky sour.

She finally wrested her hand from Potter’s grip and huffed, crossing her arms. She glared at her best friend who looked back imploringly.

“Well?” Harry gestured around. “It’s not so bad, no drawings or photos of you and we came early. The afternoon crowd is nice. Classy- well at least classier.” The witch looked unmoved.

“No, we don’t have your cocktail on rotation anymore, but Marco can still whip one up for you if you like,” he made a gesture to his employee who nodded, setting to work. “And we change the decor every 18 months so no, that photo I took of you is now long gone from posters.”

Harry sighed in relief. With a look that said, _See!_

“But I did manage to charm that image into a wallpaper and coated the bathrooms with it. You always seem so shocked about what people get up to in there,” he grinned at her as she grit her teeth cutting a dark look at Harry who had deflated. He snorted and shook his head at Harry who seemed to have forgotten the bathrooms were midnight blue and gold with no Granger to be seen.

Marco had given both Harry and Granger the Golden Girl’s Scandal Factory cocktail and while Harry’s eyebrows raised in surprise as he took appreciative sips, Granger downed the entire thing and flicked her hand, wandlessly sending the glass aggressively back to the bar.

“Impressive, Hermione,” Blaise told her, nodding at her ability to down the strong cocktail in one. She narrowed her eyes at him knowing he was there to be entertained by this spectacle.

There was a tense moment before Harry spoke again. “Uh, Mione, isn’t there something you want to tell Draco?”

“Oh, you’re here specifically to see me, Granger? How delightful. Are you here to add your name to the list?”

“What list?” Potter asked before Granger could even speak.

“I have had too many propositions to share my bed with the end of the Transit coming up. Apparently, I have just sooo many soulmates, being a best-selling author and all that,” he grinned at them and Harry paled, casting an apprehensive glance at Hermione. “So now I let any witch who wants to add their name to a list provided they fit the criteria. It’s over there.” He pointed to a tome on a lectern in the corner.

Hermione stomped over to it, taking a look at the terms set on the wall that anyone who signed supposedly agreed to. “Rule 1. Applicant must be fit, beautiful or otherwise attractive. Rule 2. Applicant must leave the premises once the act has been completed. Rule 3. Applicant will not expect payment by any means, and particularly will not claim entitlement to anything the Malfoy name benefits from. Rule 4...” her voice trailed off, perhaps because her vocal chords had dissolved from the amount of acid her words held.

She returned with a look of abject disgust. Harry was looking at him with horror and despair on his face. Draco tilted his head back at him quizzically.

“Are you kidding me, Harry? I told you, didn’t I? I would rather die.” Then she spun on her heel and attempted to leave.

Harry desperately grabbed onto her again and in a broken voice pleaded with her, “Mione, please, please, please, I’m begging you. I can’t- please, you _have_ to.”

Granger softened a bit, she touched the sunstone she still wore around her neck. “No, Harry. I really don’t. I came here because I love you. But I don’t think you hear me when I say I _can’t_. I’ll- I’ll see you at home OK?” She gently coaxed her hand from both of his and gave him another heartbroken look before she left.

Blaise glanced at Draco but seemed just as confused as him. “This wasn’t as funny as I thought it would be,” he said.

They watched as Harry slowly sunk in a chair and leaned his elbows on the table, burying his face in his hands. He stayed there unmoving before slumping over and hiding in his elbows instead, his forehead touching the table.

“We better check on him. I think something is really wrong,” Blaise looked worried and quickly glanced at Draco who nodded.

They gently approached the table the Chosen One sat at and took the other chairs around it. Draco cast a Silencing charm around them.

“Hey, uh, mate?” Blaise awkwardly shook the man’s shoulder. “Are you alright?”

He raised his head and fidgeted with his fingers. He looked devastated and like he had been crying. “No. I’m not alright. Hermione’s going to die in eleven days' time.”

A stalagmite lanced through Draco cold and piercing. He felt his scalp prickle with shock.

“What are you talking about, Harry? That’s ridiculous. She looks perfectly healthy,” Blaise was trying to comfort the man, but Potter was shaking his head.

“No, her runes will blow when the Transit ends, and she refuses to do anything about it.” He gave a heaving forlorn sigh before adding quietly. “I don’t know what I’m going to do without her.” His head hung in defeat like for once he was at a loss.

Blaise and Draco were not exactly used to acts of heavy emotion this early in the day. Drunken 3am spats were much more their style.

They exchanged a confused look. “But Theo… and wasn’t there Wood as well right at the beginning?” Blaise’s words were awkward as he tried to comprehend what Harry meant.

But the other wizard shook his head, taking off his glasses and rubbing his eyes with a hand. “She… oh Merlin, she’s going to hate me for telling you, but I don’t know what else to do.” Draco and Blaise waited while Potter exhaled and steeled himself for his next sentence. “She… lied about those runes. They weren’t real. She spelled them on herself.”

“Why would she do that?” Draco furrowed his brows together. Though he did remember that Granger’s runes started lower than most.

Harry laughed derisively. It was cold and panicked. “Probably because the only runes she actually got were for an absolute prick who has done nothing but be staggeringly awful to her since she was twelve. Even though said prick is not-so-secretly in love with her,” his eyes flickered to Draco before dropping to the table again.

No one said anything. Blaise was so still it was like someone had petrified him and Potter was lost in his sorrow.

As soon as Harry had confessed Granger’s real runes were for himself, Draco pulled all the feelings that dropped into him away and sealed them. He refused to deal with this when Potter was around and while Blaise was better, he thought he should be alone when he decided to delve deeper. What he did feel, however, was a rolling sense of calm like something was finally right in the world.

“Draco?” Blaise turned to him with dazed eyes as if he still hadn’t fully comprehended what had been said.

“What?” Draco replied waving a hand in front of Blaise’s face and bringing him back to wherever he had retreated to.

“Drake, you- this is what you’ve been waiting for. Finally.” Blaise’s voice was quiet, incredulous.

“Hmmm, nah. I’ll pass,” Draco said and the other two shot their heads up violently to look at him.

“You’ll just let her die?” Blaise spoke since Harry seemed unable to.

“She doesn’t want anything to do with me. I’m not going to force her,” Draco shrugged. “I’ll respect a witch’s decision to die if she likes. I’m chivalrous like that.”

That had finally angered Harry enough to speak. “Malfoy, can you seriously imagine a world without Hermione Granger in it?”

Draco tried, it was honestly difficult. Over the past few years, even though he hadn’t seen her much in person, she was still all over the papers. She had enacted change on a continental scale and the legislation of the Ministry for Magic had followed her lead, desperate to regain their lost reputation as one of the powerhouses of Wizarding Europe. But no, he couldn’t imagine a world without her in it. Something threatened to break free from his carefully restrained feelings, so he deflected.

“The paper will be less boring. It will stop going on and on about the reforms and protections and all the other tedious prattle Granger’s been working on,” Draco admitted.

“So, you think the world will be worse off but at least your newspaper will have more society pages?” Harry clarified, bristling.

“If you want to look at it like that,” Draco waved a hand at the notion.

Harry slumped. “I know you’re just trying to rile me up so I’m angry instead of sad. It’s not going to work.” He looked at Draco beseechingly. “Drake, please. Can you at least try to talk to her?”

Draco stared across at his friend blandly. He didn’t respond.

“Are you mad with her that she lied? Is this revenge?” Harry seemed confused, having not expected this reaction.

“No, if I were in her position, I probably would have done the same thing. That’s why she broke the spell right? She thought it would be able to end this cycle. Then she would’ve been free to be with Theo forever.” Draco dryly chuckled. “Fuck, Granger has the worst fucking luck.”

Harry’s face creased in pain as he nodded. “She’s saved every future witch and wizard in Britain from this madness and yet she’s going to die from it herself. It’s not a position I would want anyone to be in.” His voice was quiet, eyes haunted.

“Yeah, but you’re still alive and kicking,” Blaise said hopefully. “Maybe the same will happen for her.”

“I was a Horcrux though,” Harry’s words were hollow and blank. “So only the Horcrux part of me was killed.”

“You were a what?” Blaise shared a glance with Draco who shrugged again not wanting to divulge information about such dark magic.

“It doesn’t matter, the same won’t happen for Hermione.” Potter looked very tired.

“Maybe, the runes will just blow a hole in her side and then we can get her to the hospital, and she’ll be fine!” Blaise said this with a disturbing optimism. “This spell is really old, we have much better healing magics now.”

“The spell is soul magic,” Draco rebutted. “The runes ‘blowing up’ is a rough translation of the original ancient Greek. The Department of Mysteries simplified it for the masses. The spell is actually tied to the host’s soul. The runes will explode, but when they disappear they will take Granger’s soul with them. It’s closer to a Dementor’s Kiss than anything.”

“Salazar take us, really?” Blaise had turned pale and his eyes were panicked.

“Yes. Soul magic is delicate and extremely precise. Very tricky.” Draco explained to his friend, it was going to be the subject of his and Mortimer’s next book and they had been thoroughly researching the topic.

“The Transit only writes the soulmates of those who the Fates have written at the time that either host or soulmate turns 21. However, the universe also has free will. Mione and Theo made a soulmate bond themselves without any divine will. That’s why Venus took Theo’s love away as the sacrifice. It was actually supposed to be yours, Draco.” Harry’s face creased in apology.

Blaise was shocked. “Wait, they tried to sacrifice Drake’s love for Hermione to the goddess Venus? Did you even know about it beforehand?” Blaise asked Draco, outraged.

Draco crossed his arms and took a moment to process that. “I had told Devin that I spent all my years trying to fall out of love with her, so I guess they thought I’d be relieved. And I probably would have been, too. Fuck, still would be,” Draco leaned back in his chair waiting for Harry to continue.

“They thought Venus would use the Transit runes. But since Hermione had chosen Theo as her soulmate, the goddess was able to twist their intention. Venus told her that your ancestor had interfered with Fate’s plans in order to bring an end to the Transit spell she’d cast,” Harry recalled from his earlier conversation with Hermione. Draco shifted to place his elbows on the table, eager to hear exactly what Cressida Malfoy had done.

“Drake, your ancestor gave up her own life to rewrite the Fate tapestry of the strongest magical child conceived on the day of the total solar eclipse. Solar eclipses are known to create especially magical children, I guess. That was Hermione. Cressida made Hermione the soulmate of the eldest Malfoy of age when the Transit next happened. Her aim was for the two magics to cancel each other out, ending the Transit spell early. But she made it so Hermione would be the Malfoy bloodline soulmate, ensuring that her descendant would seek Hermione out. Soul magic is tricky like you said though. Hermione is _your_ soulmate but there was no guarantee that you would be hers. Hermione said she knows other people this has happened to.” Harry’s brow furrowed.

“Uh, yeah.” Blaise waggled a finger in the air. “Gin and I? If we were going to be soulmates it would only have been for our last year at Hogwarts. You know she was holding out for you the whole time, Potter. But I didn’t get all… whatever happened to Drake.” He gestured up and down Draco who cast an amused eye at him.

“Oh yes, my love for Granger has always deeply wounded me.” Draco words were sarcastic again as he waved his hands dramatically.

Harry’s eyes flicked up to him. “I can’t believe you are being so cavalier about this. Talking about loving her so easily. You used to be rather awful to her. It’s made it very hard to be your friend which is a shame because you’re kind of alright when Hermione isn’t around.” Harry grinned at him, but it dulled to a sad smile when he remembered why they were even talking about this.

“What can I say, I’m complicated.” Draco rolled his eyes at the almost complimentary sentiment. “I don’t want to love her, I just do. I’ve always hated that it feels like it’s not my choice. And then the Transit happened, and her runes were all _wrong_ and I could feel it in my bones and it itched at me every day, driving me insane. So yeah, I’ve always hated her as well. Hated her for forcing me to feel that way.”

“But it’s not her. It’s Fate or the Transit or whatever, courtesy of _your_ own ancestor. And you could always have changed how you react to her. You could have _tried_ , you might have been surprised,” Harry argued. “Can’t you find it in yourself to help her out?”

“Oh sure, I can fuck her if you want, Potter. I'll happily have her screams of pleasure live in my mattress.” Draco enjoyed the way the wizard flinched at his crass words. “However, she’d have to be willing and that seems like a much bigger hurdle for you.”

Potter nodded knowing it was the truth, sitting glumly in front of them before changing the subject. “You’ll both be receiving an invitation tomorrow. Hermione is holding a get together to say goodbye to everyone next Saturday, though no one will know that’s the purpose of it. I suppose it would be too big an ask for you not to tell anyone about all this? Let her tell people herself?” Harry sighed when their faces made it plain that there was no way they were keeping this quiet. Resigned to the bollocking he was going to get from Hermione, Harry continued. “Please come, Draco? Please just talk to her at least? And try to be nice?”

“Why the hell would she want me to come?” Draco asked, confused.

“Because, believe it or not, you’ve been a significant part of her life and there are times I know that she actually thinks of fondly. So while she does not want you, convinced you will humiliate and debase her, she still wants to wish you well for the rest of your life.” Harry ran his eyes over Draco warily as if right now he might agree with Granger’s assessment.

“And if I’d rather poke a Basilisk fang through my eye?” Draco’s sarcasm dripped like molasses.

Potter bristled. “If you need a less savoury motive, she has also invited Theo and Jackie so you can watch her suffer if you like. I don’t care. I just want you to convince her to sleep with you.”

“Oh, she’s going to be so sad and heartbroken.” Draco smirked at Harry who clenched his jaw at how upbeat he sounded. But Harry refused to give in to the anger he knew Draco was trying to stir up with his deflecting sarcasm.

“I’ll get him there Harry, don’t worry,” Blaise glared at Draco.

Harry nodded, “Well, your parents are hosting it so it would be odd if you didn’t attend.”

“It’s actually more odd they’ll allow me in the house when she’s there,” Draco pouted.

Harry chortled at Lucius and Narcissa’s partiality towards Hermione, but he stilled abruptly, the heaviness of the witch’s revelation settling on him again.

He finally spoke, “I don’t-” he sighed. “I don’t understand you, Draco. I _know_ you love her. I know you’re pretending to hate her now. I know all of this has affected you more than you would ever let on. I know you pulled everything into yourself the moment I said it. And I know you’re a good person now, even if it took you too bloody long to get there. I know because I wouldn’t have brought her here otherwise. I know because you are more worried about respecting her wishes than trying to bed her. Don’t think I haven’t noticed the way you look out for her, how you let her think you’re still the same because you think she needs it. So she can feel in control. So she has an equilibrium after every encounter with Theo. But why do you keep hiding it from _us_?” Harry gestured between Blaise and himself.

Draco wanted to answer, he really did. But he’d been blindsided, usually he had time to put together responses to these things or he was off his arse to the point he couldn’t think straight. He didn’t like doing that anymore. He had no idea where to even start answering Harry while still making sense.

Blaise could see him floundering and picked it up instead. “I’ll take this, Drake. Cover your ears or step outside the charm if you don’t want to hear it. Or you can sit and make corrections if you like.”

Draco stayed sitting and nodded but looked resolutely at his glass.

“Ok then,” Blaise gave an elongated sigh and Draco felt him shift in his seat to address Harry.

“He’s shit scared, mate.” Blaise’s words were easy and said so casually he could have been talking about the weather. But he wasn’t and to Draco they were the pelting bullet words of a splintering winter rain.

Harry gave a surprised laugh. It wasn’t meant to offend, just showed how unexpected Harry found the statement. “Elaborate, I beg you.”

“Harry, you don’t see Hermione the way we do. Or more specifically the way Draco does. You’ve always known how brilliant she is, you’re used to it. Now imagine watching that brilliance shine from afar while you’re trapped under threat of imminent death by a madman. And later in life once everything you knew fucking burned, you come across her occasionally and you strike out so that burning brilliance dies a little and you are safe in the shade. And then imagine you finally realise how fucking stupid that is. So you just wait for direction from that shining brilliance because surely she must know better, right?”

“And all through it your heart beats like it belongs to her. And I don’t mean that in the bullshit fucking Valentine’s way. I mean in a violent, terrorising way that holds your hostage. Like if anything happens to her, your shell walks around on fucking autopilot until she’s OK again. Like her hands are in your chest cupped around your most vital organ and you know she could squeeze the life out of you, and you’d let her. I mean like you only feel like a real person for the few minutes she’ll deign to have you in her company. Am I on the right track, Drake or do I need to shut the fuck up? And don’t you dare shrug.”

Draco relaxed the shoulder that had been gearing up to do just that. He nodded.

Blaise continued. “You’re somehow immune to standing too close to the sun, Potter. But for the rest of us, even being her friend, we have to be aware of not shrivelling away into nothing before her. And Draco loves her. Despite himself, he steps closer than where he knows it's safe and everything in him turns to ash for want of her. That’s the closest I can get to make you understand Harry. And even then, it’s far too simple.”

Harry blinked at them. Draco could see him thinking through everything, re-evaluating his perspective of Hermione. Remembering that to him everything Hermione had achieved was an inevitability. Because of course it was, she was Hermione Granger. Draco didn’t think Harry had ever properly stopped to consider quite how extraordinary she was. It had only started with her trajectory through the Ministry before she was thrown in the deep end with an ambassadorship. Instead of flailing, trying to stay afloat, the witch had invented a new way to swim. She was the youngest Undersecretary of the European Wizarding Council by several decades. The only delegate to ever be nominated to represent Europe on the Pan-Pacific Magical Conclave that hadn’t served as a Minister somewhere or as the Grand High Wizener of the Council. The recipient of so many accolades that they would have spanned several pages if they had been posted after her name in his book. The only ever recipient of two Order of Merlin First Class medals. And she was only thirty-fucking-two.

She was terrifying.

“Oh!” Harry’s brain seemed to have clicked into understanding. Blaise relaxed, seeing Harry reconcile the world’s version of Hermione with his own. But just as easily Harry dismissed the notion with a wave. “Maybe you should start thinking about her like I do then. She’s just a person. Knock the pedestal away. Or climb it and sit beside her. She’ll make it easy if you try.”

Harry tapped the table like his proclamation was effortless to achieve. He shook a finger at Blaise. “That was quite a pretty speech though, Blaise. Remove your cursing and I think you just wrote your vows.”

Blaise put on a thoughtful expression, raising his eyebrows then nodded consenting that it was a good idea.

Harry’s gaze rounded on Draco again taking in how tight and uncomfortable he was. What Blaise had said was true and not something he could ever say. He just wasn’t wired that way.

“Drake, what spurred your turnaround? What made you realise acting like that was ‘fucking stupid’? Was it because you hoped something could happen after Theo and Mione split? You seemed to stop trying to reject the way you felt about her then.” Harry looked eager for the answer like he’d wanted to ask this for a long time and finally had the right opportunity to do so.

This Draco did have a response for, he’d thought a lot about it.

“‘I rather had to change, don’t you think?’”

“Well, yeah. Had told you that for years before you did,” Harry gestured as if that was not a satisfactory response, but Draco shook his head.

“No, that’s something my father told me. The year Venus ripped out Theo’s love for her and she spent Christmas Eve with my parents. I had a conversation with my father about how Hermione had influenced such a staggering change in him. That’s what he told me: ‘Malfoys survive … I rather had to change, don’t you think?’ He made it sound so simple. The most unrelenting, most rigid person I’ve ever known, and he made change sound so simple. It seems stupid now, but I’d never properly considered the option before then. It had never seemed available.”

Draco wasn’t brave. Being brave was foolish and got you killed. But he gathered the courage he usually brought together in order to stand in front of her and put it into words this time.

“I know what I have to do Harry, but it will only work one way and you can’t know about it. You have to trust me.”

Granger’s best friend tilted his head and looked at him, discerning his motives. Harry could tell Draco wasn’t going to divulge anything else.

“OK. I trust you.” He tapped the table once and stood walking backwards towards the door. “You know the drill right, Malfoy?”

Draco rolled his eyes. “Yes. If she’s hurt you will maim, disfigure, kill. Threat, threat, threat. Blah, blah. Goodbye, Potter.”

Harry grinned at them and left, placated for now.

Blaise waited until Harry had Apparated away before turning to him. “Draco, have you considered that if you finally fuck Hermione all this might go away, and you’d be free of whatever curse makes you feel this way? What consequences this might have?” Blaise sounded vaguely concerned. “You know, I quite like the witch and Salazar help me if my fiancée’s maid of honour dies before the wedding. I really hope you know what you’re doing.”

Draco tapped his glass, thinking it over. A plan formulating in his mind. He still didn’t know how to feel about most of it but he did know two things. He was completely undeserving of being her soulmate and there was a strong current of curdling anger that had begun bubbling in him.

He needed to have a conversation with Theodore Nott.

* * *

_Sunday, 27 May 2012. 9 days before the end of the Transit begins._

Draco pushed open the double doors of Malfoy Manor and walked to the outdoor table where Theo was polishing the Ready-To-Tee club, waiting for Lucius.

“Theodore,” Draco spoke in a clipped manner.

Theo looked up, smiling and happy. “Oh hey, Drake. Good to see you. Will I finally convince you to join us? We’re only doing nine holes today. I’m hoping to pick your father’s brain about rings for Jackie, he seems to know a lot about what the Greengrasses expect from your negotiations with Astoria.”

Draco’s jaw tensed, he’d known Theo was contemplating entering a formal betrothal with the witch since they had openly been following the traditional pureblood courtship but it wasn’t something he really wanted to hear about right now.

“Does your Unbreakable Vow prevent you from speaking to anyone except Granger and Devin or are you allowed to talk about it with whoever is aware of Granger's situation?” Draco’s voice was neutral to the point that he could tell Theo knew he was truly incensed. He slowed his polishing and set the club down. Bringing his gaze up to his friend’s, guilt etched across his face. He’d been guessing but Theo’s face told him he was right.

“You know,” his friend said and swallowed nervously.

“Yes, I know. When did _you_ know?” Draco slid into his seat with the elegant menace of a viper. He saw Theo’s nervousness increase.

“I found out near Christmas one year.”

“Which year, Theodore?”

Theo clenched his hands around the arms of the chair. “It was… 2004.”

Draco just stared at him. Theo had paled, eyes wide.

“I-I couldn’t tell you, Drake. You must know that. You remember what you were like back then.”

Draco was silent, eyes boring into the other man’s. Theo started stammering at him again.

“After one o-of your parents benefits… she was fuming and ranting about you and then the Transit spell. I thought it was weird. I waited until she was asleep and… and I cast various dispelling charms. One of them revealed her real runes. I told her I knew about them at that Christmas party we hosted to lessen her reaction to the whole thing with Luna that night…” he trailed off.

“When did you take an Unbreakable Vow?” Draco was trying to quell his anger and remain passive but whatever strange magics his ancestor had instilled roared in him with a rattling fury. His fingers twitched where they rested on the table between him and Theo.

Theo’s eyes flicked down to the movement and he swallowed again. “That was… that was after the confrontation with Venus. Devin asked me to do it before Blaise arrived when we were in the hospital. It wasn’t something Hermione knew about at first.”

“So you knew for four years and were able to talk to me about it, but never did? Am I right?”

“And what would you have done with that information?” Theo tried to deflect.

“Probably been a right callous beast about it, but perhaps it might have been nice to know why exactly my body and brain burned with a constant need to be near her. That I wouldn’t have had to sink into drink and other women to try to alleviate how I felt. Maybe if you’d both been a little more honest things would have worked out differently.” Draco narrowed his eyes viciously at his friend. His brother. The person he trusted most who had lied to him for the past eight years.

Theo’s voice was quiet when he next spoke. “I think about that every day.” He cast his gaze away from Draco’s. “But I also think if you had even once managed to be in the same room as her without being awful, that would have been enough. She just needed one sliver of good intention towards her from you and she would have worked with it until she felt safe enough to ask you to bed her.”

Draco leaned back in his seat. He knew that was true, some of his anger ebbed away at the thought.

Theo looked less wary now. He continued. “You know what Hermione’s like, she tries to see the best in people. I read the foreword she wrote for your book. Hilarious, how she teased you in it, by the way. But I didn’t know that was how that opportunity had come about for you and look at you now: successful author with a book in its third printing, already researching your next one and proud of your work for once. You may have put in the effort to get yourself there, but without Hermione Granger it wouldn’t have even been possible. You owe her.” He turned to look over the Malfoy grounds. "I feel like that's true for most of us really."

There was a pause as Draco took in his words. He was right, damn him.

“How did you find out anyway?” Theo asked.

“Harry literally dragged her into the club yesterday. She’d confessed to him. He had to tell Blaise and I though because she didn't stick around long. She got all huffy about the joke waiting list and left. She looked so cute all puffed up with disgust I didn’t have the heart to tell her it was just a drink voucher promotion for ladies’ night.” He laughed at the way she stomped across his club all tight with fury, her dignitary grace lost in the moment.

Theo’s face scrunched up in consternation. “You laugh Drake, but yet again you forget yourself. She is convinced she is going to die in just over a week because she can’t stomach the thought of sleeping with you. Because she thinks you actually pull shit like that.”

“If she’d finished reading the rules, she would have seen it was a joke.”

Theo just stared at him. “I think it’s easy to forget, but she doesn’t really know you. Not like the rest of us do, you’ve barely seen her the last few years.” Theo’s face creased like it always did when he talked about Hermione. How deeply he knew her jarring against the lack of emotion he felt. “She’ll be scared, and she doesn’t trust you.”

Draco already knew that. “Fuck, don’t worry. I have a plan, she’ll be fine.”

The other man looked at him with undisguised doubt. “And what would that be?”

Draco just lifted a brow. “Oh, I think she should be the first to know, don’t you?”

* * *

_Tuesday, 29 May 2012. 7 days before the end of the Transit begins._

Hermione sighed and stroked Ginny’s hair as the witch cried against her having burst into sobs when Pansy had arrived with tears in her eyes. Narcissa and Lucius had very kindly allowed her to use their library for the gathering. Roping off the stacks and setting up a bar in the corner of the spacious reading area. It was supposed to be a fun, light-hearted event, spending quality time with her friends before the end of the Transit. But thanks to Harry and more specifically Blaise, everyone knew she wasn’t just moving to Australia. It was rather mortifying.

It was originally scheduled to be on the next Saturday, but her friends had insisted they have an emergency get together. Luckily Narcissa had been most accommodating.

Pansy stormed over to Draco and punched him hard in the arm.

“Ow! What the fuck, Pans!” Draco exclaimed.

“She would rather _die_ than fuck you? Godric’s frosted taint, Draco! How much of an arsehole have you _been_?!”

“Not enough of one clearly, since I was still invited to come here. Real winner of a party it’s been too. So much fun. Ow!” Pansy had hit him again.

“Errrgh! You’re so _infuriating_! You realise we’re all going to hate you forever and ever if you let this happen!”

“I’m not the one you need to be convincing Pans, go see your girl and be angry at her.” He’d gestured to where Hermione was sitting in a circle of their friends who were all awkward and sad.

Hermione blanched as a very angry Pansy tried to come over to her, but Neville stopped her first to calm his wife down. Draco’s parents started haranguing their son instead. Hermione’s cheeks burned. Gods this was so embarrassing. She glared at Harry who just looked at her sheepishly.

Her eyes slid past him to where Theo was sitting with his girlfriend. She rolled her eyes at the situation and he tried to stifle a smile. It still hurt to see him, but he was the only one acting normally since he’d known about it for so long. Well, that and it was impossible for him to care too deeply about her.

Sadly, Devin wasn’t there. He’d arrive on Thursday, back from his trip to Australia setting up his new position at the Pan-Pacific Magical Conclave. Ayano was sitting and chatting with Jackie, the two of them hitting it off, talking about the introduction of the Yokai Coalition into the PPMC.

The first time Hermione had met Jacqueline Greengrass when Devin had dated her all those years ago, she’d confessed herself a fan of Hermione’s work in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, now called the Magical Creatures Liaison Office. She’d vowed to follow in Hermione’s footsteps. Hermione had thought that meant her career trajectory, not Theo’s bed. But the witch was good for him. Nice, steady, a gentle breeze compared to Hermione’s hurricane. She... wished them well. Though she was well aware by now that wishes did not work.

She touched the sunstone where she had elongated the chain so it was hidden beneath her clothing. She’d worn it every day, telling herself that she’d take it off when the day came that she didn’t love him. It hadn’t yet arrived and probably never would now. She ducked her head back down to whisper to Ginny, the lump in her throat from thinking about Theo making it difficult to speak.

Next Luna and Rolf entered. Luna looked around the room before addressing Hermione.

“There’s a very weird energy here, Hermione. This party of yours is weird.”

Everyone stopped and stared. Merlin’s holy ghost if _Luna_ thought something was weird it must be staggeringly obtuse.

Hermione stood up. “OK everyone, I know this isn’t great. Yes, I know it was terrible of me to lie about this. Yes, I know you all just want me to jump him. And yes, I know this whole thing is fucked up.” She glanced at Narcissa and Lucius and grimaced. “Apologies for my language.”

Narcissa gave her a tight smile. “You’re quite right Hermione, it is rather _fucked up_ as you so delicately put it.” A shocked giggle left Pansy while Draco goggled at his mother. “Oh, don’t look at me like that, dear. I’m just leaning into the theme of the evening Miss Lovegood has provided.” Lucius coughed to disguise that fact he was trying to hold in a laugh.

“But speaking of,” Ron piped up. “I think you should just sleep with him and get it over with. We could all leave for a few minutes, this library would have to be turning you on from what I remember, surely?”

“A _few_ minutes?!” Draco exclaimed in outrage while Hermione groaned into her hands. Everyone started talking over each other theorising and coming up with plans. Merlin’s heaving stones, who would have thought that after all her accomplishments throughout Britain and Europe that she would be at a party where everyone suddenly had an opinion on how she should go about fucking Draco Malfoy. She supposed she deserved this moment though, if she hadn’t been quite so godsdamned stupid in the first place.

Without picking her head up she flicked her wand and sent glasses of alcohol out to everyone, except Ayano who was pregnant. She got a flavoured tonic instead.

She sent a shower of sparks up and everyone stopped talking. “Alright, grab your drinks, if you’re all going to do this, we’re going to turn it into a drinking game. For every sentence you utter or thought you have about my love life, you must take a drink-” almost as soon as she’d said it everyone in the room drank.

Ginny stood suddenly and raised her glass. “OK, who votes that Draco finally acts on his feelings for Mione and does something about this?” she gulped back her drink and most of the room followed.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake. Really, even you Lucius?” Hermione gestured to Draco’s father. “Didn’t you once tell me ‘Malfoy men don’t have feelings they have _interests_ ’?”

“I’m just following my wife’s lead and leaning into the theme, too.” The smallest of smiles graced his face as he teased her, and Hermione threw up her hands in exasperation.

Neville spoke next, arms still around Pansy. “Hermione, I know you’re annoyed right now, but we need the levity. Keeping this hidden for so many years... Some of us are really hurt. It’s a rather severe breach of trust.”

Hermione deflated. She knew that. And seeing her friends look at her with sadness, anger, confusion and a myriad of other emotions she knew if she were going through what they were, she would be furious.

“Just to be clear,” Theo addressed the room with a quick glance at Hermione. “I knew very early on. I didn’t feel tricked or coerced and what we had was real and very special, the incident with Venus proves that. But I also understand her reasons for keeping it secret. And they were good reasons.” He paused and grasped Jackie’s hand to reassure her what he spoke of was in the past. “Please remember that you will never know the whole story, OK?”

There was a murmur of acknowledgment. “In saying that, I still think we should give them a little bit of hell for Draco being such a colossal pillock that Hermione felt she needed to hide the runes and to Hermione for deceiving everyone. Though I suppose I fall into that category as well.”

“Alright then,” Pansy cocked a hip and passed an accusing finger to Hermione. “I think you hate the idea of sleeping with Draco because you know you’d like it _too_ much. Everyone who agrees with me, drink.”

Hermione gaped at her friend’s audacity, but Pansy just winked at her. Too many people laughed and drank to that for her liking.

“OK, I’m on board with this.” Blaise clapped Draco on the back. “Drake, you only insult Hermione because you know if you started being nice, you’d become the biggest fucking sap for her.”

A larger uproar of laughter and a majority of people drinking to that as well.

“Blasphemy,” Draco grumped.

Harry spoke up next, “Hermione you always said you let Drake insult you for Theo’s sake, but you let it continue after your breakup… So, I think that these ‘insults’ were actually just you two flirting with each other in a really toxic screwy way.”

Hermione crossed her arms when every person in the room drank for that aside from Draco and herself. She’d not actually thought about that, it was just an established part of her life since she was twelve that when she spoke to Draco she would be insulted. In fact, she thought she had literally been asking him to insult her for the past couple of years. She wasn’t even sure if he’d do it now without prompting. A roiling horror crested over her at the thought.

“Not only that, dear. But we all read that foreword in Draco’s and Mr. Baumgarten’s book. Most of your words were not aimed at a general audience. They were quite pointed in one singular direction, were they not?” Narcissa arched a perfectly manicured eyebrow and drank. A rather loud rumble of agreement rang through the room.

The tension was ebbing. People were laughing and drinking, sharing anecdotes and reminiscing. Lucius and Narcissa left them to it. They insisted that Hermione stay the night in what they now called ‘her’ room and made her promise to stay for breakfast the next morning.

Hermione sat on the sofa with Ginny and Harry. Thankfully the conversation evolved to the various scandals and incidents of everyone else. They teased Ginny about that infamous photo from Theo and Hermione’s wedding, Neville and Pansy for getting caught by Professor McGonagall in the staff room at Hogwarts, how Ron fell into a canal in Venice when he tried to propose to Fay. Ayano and Jackie even told a story together about Devin’s early crush on Hermione involving cringe-worthy roleplay that Hermione definitely needed to tease him about.

Ginny threw an arm around her as conversation flowed over them, whispering in her ear. “See, it won’t be so bad. We won’t let him be awful. He doesn’t call me a she-devil for nothing. He knows I will wear his bollocks as earrings if you were anything but happy.”

Hermione quaked, her hands trembling. She appreciated they were trying to change her perspective, but there was no world in which some of the things Draco had said to her over the years were flirting. Not to her at least. She felt a sting of hurt that they seemed to be trying to brush everything under a proverbial rug.

“Ginny, I _can’t_ ,” she said quietly, head down so only she and Harry could hear her.

“You keep saying that, Mione. We’re just trying to show you that we have your back. Draco said he’s fine to help you out, it’s just you dragging your heels.” Harry slung an arm around her.

Hermione fisted her shirt in her palm, feeling the shape of her sunstone beneath the fabric. “You don’t understand. I ca-”

“For the love of Merlin, if you say you can’t again Hermione, I’ll just lock you in a room with him.” Harry waved a frustrated hand in front of them.

Ginny, however, turned to her curiously. “What do you mean when you say you can’t? What’s wrong with you?” She drew her knees up on the couch underneath her, turning to Hermione. “Mione, what’s _wrong_ with you?”

The rest of the party didn’t seem to notice what was going on as Blaise and Giuliana relayed the story of the scoring system when they’d stayed with Hermione in Nice. The room was loud with laughter and groans.

Hermione couldn’t meet Ginny’s eyes. She just shook her head. Ginny cast a spell wordlessly and a diagnostic chart flew up in front of Hermione who quickly dismissed it.

“No, you’re right. I’m being silly. Don’t worry, I’ll… go talk to him soon, OK?” Ginny didn’t look like she believed her, and Harry looked at her concerned as well. She caught Pansy’s eye and the witch beckoned her over. She crossed the room, glad to be away from Harry and Ginny and their suspicion for a bit. She conjured a pill prescribed to calm her by her Muggle doctor, split it in half and swallowed it down, slipping the other half into her pocket. She sat on the floor beside Pansy’s chair and got caught in a hug from her friend then Blaise addressed her.

“Hey, why did you score us so low on this position?” He was bending Giu in a rather raunchy way, the woman winking at her from under Blaise’s arm.

“Because when I opened the door and saw what the two of you were doing with my Innovation Award from the Italian Ministry you swore at me and said my look of horror had caused a total quote ‘cock-tastrophe’. Points were docked for godsawful wordplay. I should retroactively deduct more points for the state of the award after the fact.” She scrunched up her face, the room erupting in laughter.

“Oh, that’s right. Hey Giu, do you want to show her how much your impression has improved?”

Hermione’s eyes went wide. “Oh, Merlin help me, do I even want to know exactly why she has gotten better?”

“Blaise and I still play Granger in the Dungeons sometimes,” Giuliana laughed at the amount of groans and outraged exclamations.

Pansy laughed though, nudging Hermione’s shoulder. “Sometimes I pretend to be you as well. Well, not _you_ exactly, but I embody your school bossiness.”

Giu gestured wildly in agreement. “Yes, _precisamente_! Blaise told me all about it.” She cleared her throat and affected the enunciated disdainful way Hermione used to chastise Harry and Ron. ‘Honestly, Mr. Zabini, how can you possibly have your way with me if you can’t even tie me up properly? You should be using page 53 of Denphy’s _Bondage in a Bond Age vol. 4_.’”

It was a very good impression complete with exasperated looks and hand gestures. Hermione couldn’t help but laugh.

“Stop, it’s giving me flashbacks,” Ron said with a grimace. “‘Honestly Ronald, do you ever chew with your mouth closed?’”

Harry laughed and joined in. “‘Honestly Harry, don’t you ever read?’”

Then a chorus of them came in.

“‘Honestly Neville, you need to learn _Accio_ if you’re going to lose your homework this often.’”

“Honestly Ginny, next time lock the Prefect Bathroom.’”

“Honestly Harry, she only likes you because she thinks you’re the Chosen One.”

“Honestly Ronald, could you be quiet for five minutes.’”

“Honestly Ginny, can’t you remember a Silencing charm at least once?’”

“Well, that would have been greatly appreciated, Gin. I thought you were being murdered half the time in Eighth Year. That’s why I charmed all the doors in Grimmauld Place as soon as we moved in.” She rolled her eyes and Ginny poked her tongue out at her, the awkwardness of before forgotten.

Theo chuckled. “No wonder you are able to accomplish so much, Mione. You just escalate your bossiness to a governmental level.”

“And she’s bossed my father into being a total teddy bear, I can’t believe you have him building a movie theatre in the manor now. It’s utterly ridiculous.” Draco rolled his eyes.

“Well, someone has to make use of my DVD collection when I-” she paused, realising the entire room was incredibly focused on what she was about to say. She spoke slowly, the words stilted as she grimaced. “-move to Australia.” A collective sigh breathed through the room.

“Really, Mione?” Ginny’s voice was higher than usual in her hope.

Hermione took a breath and tried a casual shrug. “The PMCC said they’d hold my position until the end of June.” She saw Ayano immediately draw out her Protean and message Devin.

Ron narrowed his eyes though. “So why are you still giving away your possessions?”

“Because Australia has different plugs for my DVD player and even if I got a converter, the connections are different and if I bought one from an Australian store, the DVDs would all be coded to a different region and wouldn’t work anyway.”

“That’s just a bunch of nonsense words, I wish Dad was here to see if you’re lying or not.”

Theo laughed. “No, she’s right. Jackie and I just ordered a TV and DVD player for home.”

Hermione chuckled lightly. “Of course, your beloved Olympics are on this year. You know they’re in London this time, right?”

“No, I didn’t! Are they really?”

“I got sent a bunch of tickets to events from Downing Street. The Prime Minister was rather grateful after I helped his nephew when they got bit by a werewolf. I’ll have Ranier send some to you, though I’ll tell you right now he’ll be hanging onto the fencing ones.”

Theo’s eyes went wide. He looked so excited and happy.

She addressed Jackie now. “If you go see Therma Margoyles in Muggle Liaison and Oliver Wood, Head of Magical Games and Sports when you’re at work they’ll help you out with what you’ll need, nearby Apparition points and everything. And tell Olly hey from me.”

Jackie nodded but looked confused about what the Olympics were. As Theo launched into a diatribe about all the events he liked, Hermione dug out the other half of her pill and took a swig of her wine to swallow it down, sweeping her hair to use it as a curtain for the majority of the room.

Then a slippery voice was in her ear. “So, Hermione. When I can I expect you to be well and truly Malfoy’d?”

Hermione turned her head up to Pansy. The witch’s eyes glittered with a forceful determination as her gaze swept over to where Draco was talking to Blaise and Giuliana. “No time like the present. You know all of us will devise more and more desperate ways to force the two of you together if you refuse.”

Neville looked at his wife and swallowed, turning to Hermione with a scared expression. “Mione, I beg that you take her seriously. She made a list last night after Blaise came to see us and some of her methods… I would not want them visited upon anyone.”

Pansy grinned shark-like at her.

“Bloody hell, fine!” She stood up and stalked to the door that led outside to a small patio. “Malfoy, a word?” she called behind her. She went outside and sat at the small table there, warding the area to be Silenced, drumming her fingers on the table. They were going to be spied on no matter what, but she thought she should try for privacy anyway.

She felt a presence move in the shadow behind her and the door open again.

“Hello, darling. How long have you been here?”

“Are you addled, Granger?” Draco asked in his drawling voice.

“She vas tahlking to me,” Rainier spoke, gliding forward before answering her question. He sat in the air beside her like there was a chair there, as if he were manipulating the fabric of the universe to cushion him.

“A leetle vhile, Devvon tells me vhy you are in Eenglahnd, silly vohws do not work on vampyr. So, I come to find you,” he inhaled deeply. “Your bluhd vas spilled here.”

“A very long time ago.” She flicked her gaze to Draco. “Sit down, won’t you?”

Draco warily sat at the table, angling himself so he could keep Rainier fully in front of him.

The vampire made a too smooth movement towards Draco, circling around him. “So thees is ze one?” Hermione nodded.

“Thiago hated heem. Varned me about ze pretty pale man.” His gaze flicked to the window where predictably everyone was watching. Draco was pouting and crossed his arms. He was covering up his nervousness.

Rainier had met most of her friends at various times but as he preferred to keep to the shadows, he was still a bit of a curiosity. Unfortunately, it drew even more attention to this moment than Hermione would have liked. May as well give them something to talk about as a distraction so she could speak more freely to Draco.

She held out her palm to Ranier and he gently took her hand, giving her a look through his dark lashes. “One with a glass of wine,” she told him, and he nodded. Grinning lasciviously at their audience safe behind the glass, the vampire slowly bit into her palm. Hermione spelled the door with her strongest locking charm and couldn’t help but laugh at the chaos that she could see but not hear going on inside.

“So Draco, what are we to do?” she addressed the wizard sitting opposite her. He’d appeared shocked when Ranier first sunk into her flesh. His eyes dilating at the aura pulsing out of the vamp but pulled back into his usual aloof demeanour when he saw how unphased she was. She could tell he was affected by Ranier’s dark, seductive energy though; it was almost impossible to resist.

Though he made the bite look bad, Ranier had barely pricked her. Now he was just lapping gently at the small droplets that beaded upward from the tiny wound like he had so many times before.

“I did have an idea, Granger. One that would perhaps take advantage of something we do have going for us.”

“Oh yes? And what would that be?” she lifted a brow in query.

“The time-honoured tradition of a good old-fashioned hate fuck. We know I can make you absolutely seething with rage. It’s probably the closest thing you’ll ever come to feeling passion for me, but it should work.” He took a sip of his drink waiting for her response.

She mulled it over, it wasn’t the most horrible of plans. If she was fuming mad at him, she probably wouldn’t have space to feel the cloying discomfort that usually accompanied thoughts of sleeping with him.

“OK. That’s actually not terrible. Definitely at your club, it still makes me mad. Even better if we use the bathroom. I’m getting angry just thinking about it.” Her eyes flashed at him then narrowed when he smirked at her.

“I’ll probably have some time on Monday,” he said nonchalantly like they were casually arranging to have coffee.

She clenched her jaw. “Fine.”

“It’s a date, Granger. Don’t come by before four or after six, I have other commitments to attend to and helping you survive is rather low on my list.”

“Ugh, you’re such a twatburger, I actually have commitments of my own you know.”

Draco sat in amused shock, his eyes drifting away as if he were trying to imagine what exactly a twatburger might look like. Shaking his head, he pulled himself back to the conversation at hand, shrugging smugly.

“Move them then. This is what happens when people get me to try. They never end up liking it.”

Hermione clenched her jaw. Rainier was putting her hand down. There was a fizz of energy. Her friends had taken down the Silencing charm.

Draco pointed a finger at the vampire as he took another drink. “I thought he was your bodyguard. More of a boyfriend, is he?”

Rainier growled low and made a show of licking Hermione’s blood off his elongated teeth.

“Ranier is many things. A guard, yes. But also someone who can procure things for me easily, an excellent sneak, he can frighten and charm and is a marvelous diagnostician amongst other accomplishments.” She turned to the vamp, a question in her eyes though her heart already knew the answer. “How’d I do darling?”

Rainier gave his crunching laugh but shook his head. “You felt nozhing. Compleetely unaffected. I theenk you are gohing to die.” Hermione could spy her friends inside freaking out at the proclamation.

Draco gave him a searching look. Ranier turned to Hermione, standing between her and Malfoy. He picked up her hand again, tracing a finger delicately down her arm, turning it as if appraising a luxury item. His deep voice was light and appreciative when he next spoke.

“May I haave your bohdy ven you are dead? Decant you like red vhine? Make nice ornahment for my howse?”

Draco looked horrified.

Hermione shrugged. “Sure.”

She shared a look with Ranier and started laughing. She clutched at her friend’s cool hand, his crackling chuckles sparking in the air as she hugged her stomach and kicked her feet out in mirth. Rainier’s dark sense of humour always freaked people out, but she rather liked it.

There was a loud spilling of people out onto the patio. They’d managed to break her ward finally.

“What the fuck?” Harry’s voice carried over their laughter.

Draco shook his head slowly. “Mate, I have _no_ idea.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading.
> 
> Next update for Chapter Fourteen: Hate will be 11/2 NZT.


	14. Hate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There are just so many things to hate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Trigger warning for panic attacks and suicidal ideation. 
> 
> Please look after yourselves if these topics are difficult for you!

**Chapter Fourteen: Hate**

_After the party. Wednesday, 30 May 2012. 6 days before the end of the Transit begins._

Hermione lay in her bed at the Manor. It was about 2am now and she couldn’t sleep. Her mind whirred, thinking about the arrangement she had made with Draco. A crease appearing in her forehead.

She bit her lip and her stomach clenched with fear and panic. Now that it was so close, she thrummed with not wanting to die. She’d worried about it for a long time but everything she did just seemed to make it more of an inevitability.

Rainier had said she was still completely unaffected by him. Not even a blip of desire in her pulse despite his pheromones being thick in the air as he tested her. If it affected Draco as much as it had she should have been rapturous with pleasure, the vamp aura and enzymes in his saliva should have had her shuddering in his arms and begging him to take more.

That was why the Ministry had assigned Ranier to her. Or maybe why the Ministry had allowed Ranier to assign himself to her. She wasn’t really sure. She wasn’t allowed to be sure. Rainier was a being whose designation was above her clearance level. He’d just appeared one day with a writ from the Department of Mysteries stating he was to be her doctor and bodyguard. Doctor. Not Healer.

Hermione knew he wasn’t just a regular vamp, the things he was capable of went well beyond anything she’d read about vampires. But he always evaded her questions about it.

Ranier always regarded her as something rather curious and fascinating. He found it very amusing that she was immune to his pheromones. She could tell there was more to his interest in her than she knew but she couldn’t for the life of her fathom what. The only clue she had, and it was very little, was the way he would stare at the two knicks that scarred on her neck from where Bellatrix’s knife had dug in. At first, she’d thought maybe it was because they were a similar width apart as a bite mark, but soon dismissed the notion as derivative.

He had been very useful as an on-hand doctor though. He could test her anxiety levels, stress, libido and all manner of things with just a couple drops of her blood. But they hadn’t been able to find a solution to break the barriers in her that refused the releasing pleasure of an orgasm.

But Ranier was well-versed in potion-making and Muggle treatments which was helpful for Hermione’s anxiety. His ability to act as a guard due to his speed and strength also meant Hermione’s health problems would stay under wraps. She didn’t think she would have been able to withstand the mortification of the press knowing she had an on-hand doctor. Or of her dabbling in taking love potions as a desperate measure to undo her problem. They hadn’t worked or only worked the smallest amount. Much to Hermione’s dismay and relief.

That was the real issue. The horrible, embarrassing consequence of her ongoing PTSD from Venus. If she couldn’t orgasm, the conditions of the spell would not be fulfilled.

However, the special interest the vampire held about her had not helped this situation. Not him or a specialist Healer or a Muggle therapist nor any other treatments had done anything to assuage her predicament. Including a rather outrageous collection of toys that now lived in the bottom of her trunk.

But she had to keep trying.

She was calm, her mind blank and ready to only feel.

She breathed long and deep, it was always harder staying in her neutral space after she’d seen Theo. But she pushed thoughts of him away.

She teased herself. Brushing light fingers over her chest, the touches tickling and sensual. Slowly worked best they’d found. And so, she went slow. The barest graze of her fingertips working their way down.

She felt the flush of arousal begin and as it did every time, her core throbbed to life, a yearning pulse coursing through her when she had not been able to induce her own relief since her encounter with Venus.

But she wouldn’t think about that now. Couldn’t think about that now.

A breathy inhale and she focused on the sensation, attempting to turn her brain off.

 _Forget who you are and just feel,_ she told herself with a shaky exhale.

She ghosted one hand over a nipple and felt a jolt run through her but only a spike of pleasure came through. That was good. Sometimes just that could send her spiralling.

She hesitated, but continued, annoyed at how fearful she was. Her other hand travelled further down. Slipping past the satin of her nightgown, teasing the soft lace against her skin.

Keeping steady breaths and her eyes shut, to focus, to calm, to feel not think, she cupped herself.

A niggle started in her mind, but she shut it down.

It was like her body was at war with itself. It _needed_ this but also rejected it. Her pleasure now connected to a deep pain that curled her organs tight and made her brain scream to forget.

And she tortured herself every night to try and break through the barriers her mind put up, she supposed it did so to protect her. Perhaps her brain thought she would break if she pushed too hard. Hmm, insanity or death? At least that’s a newer conundrum. One that had been plaguing her for the past year. It was more novel to her than the endless debate about whether she should sleep with Malfoy. And yet, that was a foregone conclusion now. Gods, she’d sworn to herself she would never. Especially when he was still such an arsehole.

She stopped. She’d done it again, fallen out of her neutral space. Her body was cold and unresponsive.

_Inhale._

_Exhale._

_Shut up brain, shut up brain, shut up._

_Inhale._

_Exhale._

_Forget who you are and just feel._

She tried again, starting slow.

Breath in, breath out.

Slow, so slow. Going fast only brings the panic on.

The same as before, light grazes, trailing fingers, satin and lace.

Tentative touches, don’t scare it away again. Stay in the moment.

It feels good, chest flushes, skin prickles.

It feels better, coil spindling, swallowed moan, finger entering, curling.

A pulse, a gasp, pressure building.

_Inhale._

_Exhale._

Thumb stroking, two fingers, arching back.

Hand on breast, strap sliding off shoulder.

Biting lip, fingers circling raised nipple.

Circling continuing above and below, fingers curling inward.

Coil ready to spring, ecstasy readies…

The universe expands. Her head stretches from her body. She is slammed to the ground. Pressure so consuming everything hurts. Eyes fly open, Venus’ hands in Theo’s chest. Theo falls. Bond is broken, everything splinters.

Frayed, broken, heart rent apart again.

Hermione shoved the memory back into her castle wrenching upward and huddling in the corner of the bed. Hand clamped over her mouth as she wracked with sobs into her knees. No matter the strength of the Silence charm, the elves here always knew if she was too loud and would try help her.

Hermione fisted the sheet, knuckles white with the pressure. Her sobs abated and she fell into the centre of the bed, eyes staring at nothing, desperately trying to keep her trauma caged. Tears leaked out of her and she worried her thumbnail as her anxiety flared.

_I’m going to die._

She curled in on herself tighter. She was so lonely.

One consequence of being apart from most of her friends meant they didn’t know these parts of her, how she was in the day-to-day. She knew they would always be there for her, but how do you even start having a conversation like this?

 _Oh yeah, hey Harry. Yeah, I’m not doing so good. Why? Oh, I’ve forgotten how to orgasm because my brain associates that pleasure with my soulmate being ripped from me! Yes, you’re right. It does suck._ She wasn’t going to put herself or her friends through that.

Malfoy though, they did seem to know. Enough that they would no longer listen to her fears about him. And yes, maybe they do know him better but how is that supposed to help her? If she can’t even give herself pleasure, how is she supposed to convince herself to take it from someone who has visited hurt upon her so often?

She would try. She would try so hard. She had to.

She started shaking. Cold and fear competing to sink further into her, seeing who could get to her soul first. Her vision started blacking out around the edges and she realised her breathing was too rapid.

Her hand was scrabbling by her heart trying to get the erratic palpitation out of her body. She was going to have scratches and bruises again. She closed her eyes and forced herself to breathe evenly. Her body jerking and shuddering as she calmed herself down.

She was tired. So, so tired.

June 6th. June 6th. June 6th.

Come closer and end this.

But just as she drifted off into a nightmare, she grit her teeth.

No. Stay away June 6th. Stay the fuck away.

* * *

_10.00am, Wednesday, 30 May 2012. 6 days before the end of the Transit begins._

Hermione found Lucius in the near-completed movie theatre he'd built.

“Pendry said you asked for me?” she called from the doorway, forgoing a greeting.

“ _Good morning_ is still customary, Hermione,” he said in admonishment making her chuckle.

“If you cannot follow such customs, how can I be expected to?” she sipped the coffee she had brought with her, eyebrows raised innocently over the rim of the china.

He brought his head up and stared ahead heaving a sigh, but Hermione could see the tightness of his mouth as he tried not to smile.

“I thought since everything was now out in the open, we ought to have a conversation about that thing we have an unspoken agreement to never talk about?”

Hermione pouted and slumped into one of the armchairs. It sunk around her as if trying to give a hug. She swung her legs so she bounced on it a couple times, amused by its pliant softness.

Lucius tsked at her. “Stop that. We were trying for serious, weren’t we?”

“I don’t recall agreeing to a particular tone.”

Lucius rubbed his temples, mumbling to Salazar to give him strength.

She clomped her feet to the floor. “OK, fine. Let’s do it,” she sank back and waited.

Lucius eyed her warily to check for more antics, but she stared back at him with earnestness.

He sat in the chair beside her. “Narcissa would have been here for this too, but she has a luncheon to attend.”

Hermione nodded, waiting for him to begin. This těte-à-těte was years in the making.

“Are you scared?”

It surprised Hermione, she didn’t expect him to start this way.

“Yes.” She stared at the hands holding her empty cup.

“I know he’s been terrible to you. And he’s cold, distant, wears sarcasm like it’s another layer of skin-”

“He’s an arsehole.” Hermione cut through Lucius’ words, rolling her head to look at him from the side. “Always has been to me. And I’m somehow supposed to believe he _loves_ me and that he’s _changed_ and how I should give him a _chance_ \- What?”

This time Lucius’ laughter stemmed her flow. “Sorry, we both know your friends mean well, but they’re idiots.” Hermione looked at him with her own amused smile and held back for an elaboration.

“Draco didn’t exactly have a monumental shift. He’s barely scraping by as decent.”

Hermione gave a puff of humour acknowledging that might almost be true.

“But I remember that I was much like that myself, yet we are quite good friends now, are we not?”

“Well, that’s because you and Narcissa have been so lovely and kind to me. You let me come here like you’re my secondary set of parents since my own never recovered. You look after me, I’ll always be grateful for that.”

She held his gaze for a moment to show her sincerity before kicking off her shoes and curling her feet under her on the seat cushion. Lucius side-eyed the movement.

“So uncouth,” he huffed, and Hermione laughed at him.

“You do remember why we were so gracious in the beginning though, Hermione. Narcissa and I were using you to gain societal influence, repair our reputation from notorious to benevolent. It was only your special brand of perseverance that ingratiated you to us. And now you’ve taken root and spread all over my house.” He gestured around the movie theatre with faux-indignance as Hermione snorted.

“Are you calling me a fungus?” she teased.

“I’m saying that I once truly wished for your death and was set on delivering you to the Dark Lord to regain favour. I let you, a child, be tortured in front of me and sincerely wanted Bellatrix to not just knick your neck with that knife. At the time I wanted her to carve into you deep so you would give us all your secrets. Actions I will regret every day of my life and will never stop trying to make up to you. But you showed me forgiveness, acceptance and dare we say it, love. Which you now receive in return. In case you don’t know, Narcissa and I love you very much.”

He looked at her in a way that was so reminiscent of her own father she felt a lump form in her throat. He’d shown and told her again and again how repentant he was, she’d forgiven him a long time ago.

He continued. “So, you understand that we would be rather cross if you decided to go ahead and die without trying _all_ your options.”

Hermione was quiet for a moment. She studied the lush carpet, biting the inside of her lip before looking at him cheekily.

“Does that mean you’ll ground me?”

But Lucius drew his brows together. “That’s not funny, Hermione.”

She instantly felt bad and apologised. Perhaps she should leave the gallows humour to Ranier.

Lucius sighed. “I know there is very little time for you to try to understand him or work your magic to have him at a standard where he could even be considered a viable option for your attention, but please don’t resign yourself to an early grave just yet.”

Hermione ran through her memories going back to when she’d first become properly acquainted with Lucius and Narcissa at the Transit of Venus Ball. How calculating they were, how devious and cunning. Getting to know them at the benefits, she’d seen how they changed around Draco and Theo and in stolen moments when it was just the two of them. Hermione remembered when she’d become determined to be given even a sliver of that respect and affection. For Theo’s sake at first, but then she found she rather liked the austere couple. So outwardly cold and so warm inside. Like a sauna on a winter’s day.

She’d gone far beyond what she’d thought possible. She’d expected perhaps a nod of appreciation or a welcoming twinkle of fingers that accompanied a smile a tinge wider than that normally held for society. And now she had her own room in the Manor, sitting in a movie theatre it had taken surprisingly little convincing to build.

She reached out a hand and Lucius cupped her fingers, patting her knuckles. “I give you my word I’ll try. Though I would appreciate the same sentiments being given to your son.”

“Oh, never fear,” Lucius gave her the patented Malfoy smirk. “He’s been receiving ever-increasing threats upon the hour. I intend to ensure you are in good hands.”

Hermione responded to his predatory grin with a giggling wrinkle of her nose.

From Draco though, she had no idea what to expect.

* * *

_Monday, 4 June 2012. 1 day before the end of the Transit begins._

**10.00am**

Hermione stepped into the Potters’ lounge after having breakfast with Narcissa and Lucius, to hear Ginny yelling in the kitchen.

“What in Merlin’s name is wrong with that bastard! And here I thought he’d changed.”

“Ginny, please. Calm down, it’s not _that_ bad.”

Hermione entered the kitchen. “What’s wrong?”

Ginny and Harry quickly schooled their features and Ginny tried to hide something behind her back but Hermione easily _Accio_ ’d it. The _Daily Prophet_ flew into her hand. She was on the front page, a regular enough occurrence that it would not normally be cause for alarm. This morning was different though. Because her picture was shared with that of Draco Malfoy.

_GOLDEN GIRL’S GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY: Is the Malfoy heir the reason Hermione Granger came back to England?_

_Rumours swirled when Hermione Granger wrote the foreword for Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Baumgarten’s best-selling debut book,_ Mastering Magic Manipulation _and further evidence suggests romance is on the cards again for this couple. As you may recall from the start of the Transit of Venus, it appeared Ms. Granger had initially dumped her Malfoy beau for his friend, Theodore Nott._

Hermione scoffed. “No one would believe this, Ginny. Just the paper trying to stir up drama to sell more copies.”

Ginny would not be swayed though. “Do you not remember who fabricated those stories back then? That was all Malfoy and here he is, doing it again!”

“I highly doubt that Gin.” Hermione tried to calm her friend. “That was a very long time ago. He hasn’t done anything like that since I moved to Italy.” Though her statement was more of a reassurance to herself.

“It has a quote from him! Keep reading!” Ginny fumed.

_It was reported on the day Mr. Nott and Ms. Granger managed to break the Transit spell, that it was Draco Malfoy the latter turned to for comfort after the harrowing experience. Several guests of the called-off wedding recalled the notable absence of both parties from the festivities. And after a number of years, it appears the couple may be readying to go public. Many of our intrepid readers spotted Ms. Granger at Mr. Malfoy’s establishment last week and as you can see from the inset picture, the former Undersecretary to the European Wizarding Council appears to be staying at Malfoy Manor when she is not with Mr. and Mrs. Harry Potter. Will we expect to hear wedding bells for these two in the near future? According to Mr. Malfoy that seems likely. See p. 2 for more._

Hermione viciously turned the page, scrunching the paper in her hands. What the fuck? How dare he!

There was a photo of Hermione scowling beside Harry, Malfoy smirking at her and standing beside Blaise at his club. Definitely not professional, probably snapped by a patron.

_We asked Mr. Malfoy to comment just why Ms. Granger seemed so put out with him when they were seen at his club, Maleficence. He responded thus:_

_“Hermione and I were having a disagreement about when to announce our engagement. She’s rather desperate for us to be public whereas I’d rather keep her to myself for a bit longer. But you got your wish, honey! Public enough for you?”_

Hermione couldn’t stand to read the rest of it. What was wrong with him! Fucking hell. She gave a long, slow exhale and grit her teeth.

“Gin?” she ground out.

“Mm?”

“What implements do you most recommend to turn someone into a eunuch?”

Ginny grinned at her and brought her into the kitchen to set out an array of fun tools with a menacing glee. Harry looking at them amused and concerned.

**12.00pm**

A few hours later, when her fourth cup of green tea had finally brought her down from irate to a simmering anger a package arrived. It was a box of Muggle condoms with a note:

_Granger - I’ve been told I should probably use these by my staff since ‘who knows where I’ve been’ and they doubt the charms can cover everything I’ve probably got wriggling around in me. So looking forward to seeing you._

It wasn’t signed but it really didn’t need to be.

She knew he was trying to make her mad, and she leant into it. She used her fire to burn away any other feelings she had. They would not serve her today and she just bloody knew he must be enjoying this far too much like she’d always known he would. Instead of shame though, she thrummed with wanting to arch her fingers and tear him apart in fury.

Jaw clenching, she picked up the box, a collection of words sparkling with magic to get her attention. _Ribbed for her pleasure_. Oh, Godric’s wizened nosehairs.

**2.00pm**

Another couple of hours passed and Harry came in with another parcel, an awkward look on his face like he wasn’t sure how she would react.

“What now?” Hermione whined and grabbed the package out of Harry’s hands as he shrugged. She recognised a very expensive lingerie brand on the box. Ginny came into her room as well.

“Ooh, I’ll take that, if you don’t want it.” Ginny made grabbing motions in the air, Hermione laughed at her eagerness and handed her the box.

Ginny unravelled the velvet black ribbon with its gold tips, dropping it on the floor and Hermione picked it up, tying it around her ponytail in a bow.

Ginny dropped the cardboard as well and held out a green and black satin lingerie dress that had bondage straps criss-crossing over it with 24 karat gold accents. The reverse of the garment had two patterned lines running down it that would show glimpses of back and rounded cheek through them. It was gorgeous. Ginny and Harry gave each other flirty glances imagining what it would look like on.

Hermione giggled at them, but her mirth quickly evaporated when her gaze dropped to the discarded box. There was a note with another item underneath it. With shaking hands, she picked up the expensive card stock.

_I picked out some items I liked. Be a doll and wear them for me._

The fury came back dark and hot. Especially when she saw the open back knickers in the box with gold thread embroidered along the band on the side: _Property of Draco Malfoy_.

“That does _not_ say what I think it does.” Ginny’s eyes were wide, and Harry ran a hand down his face looking like he deeply regretted encouraging this.

Hermione was shaking, the card now crushed in her hand, her knuckles white with strain.

“Ginny,” Hermione’s voice was quiet and disturbing, she had gone beyond being mad into madness. “Get the eggbeater.”

She hauled herself into a sitting position and started pulling on her over-the-knee boots, the ones with the ball-stomping heel.

“The eggbeater? The eggbeater wasn’t even an option! What are you going to do with it?”

Hermione threw her a sinister look. “Something that will undoubtedly become classified.”

* * *

Draco looked at his watch, it was fifteen minutes past two. _Where are you, Granger? Surely you must be steaming by now?_ But the witch hadn’t come stalking in like a hellion yet so he pulled his focus back to the meeting with the Chairman of the Board for Hogwarts and some Ministry officials regarding adding his book to the school curriculum. He’d convinced them to have the meeting at his bar since it was closed on Mondays, Mortimer having begged off the meeting.

About ten minutes later once he’d become bored again by debates over which class and which year the text should be introduced, the door of the closed club banged open and Hermione strode in, shaking with rage. He grinned congratulating himself on a job well done.

“Is that Hermione Granger? Oh Merlin, I’m such a huge fan.” One of the Ministry officials was trying to make himself as presentable as possible, eyes huge as he took her in. She did look spectacular today. Black over the knee boots with a dangerously pointy heel; short, tight black and white tweed skirt with a tight white T-shirt tucked in, her curly hair up in a sleek ponytail with a familiar ribbon adorning it, and a black blazer rested on her shoulders, like a cloak. The effect was pleasingly casual yet elegant.

Curiously, she had some sort of Muggle tool in her hand, it looked like a torture device but seeing the Chairman and Ministry robes, she placed it on a table as she came over.

Her face was carefully schooled into a bland but pleasant expression and he saw her body take on the fury her face now had to quell. He stifled a laugh; she was hating this.

“Miss Granger, it is _such_ an unbelievable honour,” the Ministry bloke (Daubes? Droob, maybe?) practically fell over himself to shake her hand. She nodded at the Board Chairman and other official, clearly already familiar with them.

“Love, can’t you see I’m working?” Draco smiled at her, rewarded with a clenching of her jaw.

“Oh, you and- and Miss Granger are an item?” the over eager official (Druthers?) shifted his gaze between them.

Draco could feel the hairs on Hermione’s arm raise in anger as she stood beside him.

She ignored the comment with a tight smile. “Our appointment has been moved up,” her eyes glittered at him. Oh, she was so mad. “Apologies, to end your meeting early but our engagement is regrettably unavoidable.”

“Quite alright Hermione, we have enough to get on with for now anyway,” the Chairman stood, moving out of the booth and gave her a slight bow in deference. “We will keep in touch with you for the next steps, Mr. Malfoy.” Then he swept out of the bar with the officials closely following behind, Dipper (Dinder?) giving Hermione a final awestruck glance before they exited.

Draco chuckled leaning back in his seat. She was vibrating with suppressed ire, fists clenched and her breathing heavy.

“Well, that was quite rude of you Granger.”

“Shut _the fuck_ up,” she ground out through gritted teeth.

He opened his mouth to retort, but she surged forward and collided her mouth against his.

Woah.

* * *

Hermione hated the way he smelled spicy and sweet like gingerbread mixed with a heady undercurrent of luxury leather. She hated his stupidly perfect hair that looked good no matter how many times she tried to mess it up with her hands. She hated how his tailored clothing was designed like an intricately metal crafted sword sheath to perfectly disguise the danger inside.

She was just so angry. The accumulation of outrage, hurt and blistering enmity that had been curdling and festering for twenty years was pouring out of her. It took the form of bruising kisses, his white shirt already shredded down the back and scores from her fingernails reddening the skin beneath. It was growled promises to ruin him in his ear and vindictive pleasure in the way he shuddered in her rancour. She was not gentle or kind, using teeth to mark him for every insult he had ever hurled at her.

She hated how skilled his tongue was, how receptive he was to everything she gave him, straddling him as the angry fire simmered in her blood. She hated the way his eyes had widened when she’d ripped the left seam in the front of her skirt so she could place her suede boots on either side of him. She hated the way he looked at her like he couldn’t quite believe this was happening. But she loved the way she knew she could reach into his chest, rip out his heart, crush it to dust and he’d beg for her to do it again.

It was a sick, disturbing power and she threw herself into it. She could hear him swallow when she let him come up for air like he was holding back moans of pleasure. She ground on him, the lack of fabric-on-fabric friction making him realise that she’d come to him bare under her skirt. As if she would give him the satisfaction of knowing what kind of lingerie she preferred. He involuntarily jolted beneath her and she gave a slow wicked smile of satisfaction that he was losing his composure.

“Fuck.” It was the first word he had uttered. As she teased him, simulating what she was capable of over his clothes and teething on his ear lobe, she glanced down at his clenched fists resolutely balled on the seat of the booth. A ping of curiosity flitted in her mind and she quickly drowned it in her acidic vitriol. This was not the time to be curious about his lack of action.

She lathed her tongue over where she had been nibbling on him then brought her hands around his throat, closing around it, and stroking her thumb down his airway similar to what he had done to her so long ago. Another swallowed sound almost made its way out of him.

She breathed across his ear, an eerie crooning that made goose pimples rise down his neck. “Malfoy, you’re holding back. Don’t you know this is the one time you’re allowed to touch me? You’ll know if I don’t like something because you will no longer have use of whatever offended me.” His already straining erection twitched on her thigh and she laughed, capturing him in another punishing kiss and this time he did let out a small moan.

She released her hold around his neck and stroked down to his shoulders then further along his arms taking his hands in her own, stroking the underside of his wrists to unfurl fingers from palms. She guided his hands upward. She slid one from the top of her boot to under her skirt, the frayed edges of the rip tickling them both. His other she dipped under her T-shirt, stroking up her side. As soon as she moved her hands away, he squeezed and wrested his lips away from hers in a breathy exhale.

Her hands had already moved up to the collar of his shirt, tearing it open and sending ludicrously expensive onyx and silver buttons clattering over the table behind her and to the floor. The chattering of the exploded fastenings sounded annoyed with her for displacing them from their home. Malfoy inhaled sharply.

One hand in the hair at the back of his head and the other investigating the newly exposed skin of his chest, she moved her mouth down his neck to suckle at his collarbone. His own hands were tentatively exploring with light movements that took their time. Small circles on her upper thigh, the other travelling over her T-shirt, splayed open and feeling up her spine. He reached to run his hand over the softness of the bow in her hair, playing with the velvet ribbon between thumb and forefinger.

She’d forgotten about that, she’d just thought it was pretty and wrapped it over her hair tie. She could feel him overthinking it. She needed to distract him. Kissing him again, softer this time, she reached her hands to take her hair down, letting it fall over her shoulders and down her back. He immediately wound his hands in it, his breath catching as he realised how silky and soft it was, watching his hands get lost up to his wrists. He twisted them gently like he wanted her hair to capture him and never let him go.

She brushed her cotton-encased chest against the pale skin of his own, letting him feel her breasts, free from a bra, nipples hardening against him as she bit down on his collarbone.

A strangled noise left him. “Granger,” he managed.

She paused, lifting her head slightly. “No?”

“Not no. Anything but no.”

“Then fucking hell, get involved,” she growled at him.

A guttural sound escaped him, and he pulled her head back by her hair in a way that was so possessive a new furore hit her as he forced her to look at him.

His gaze sparked with… something. Something he was holding back inside his walls. But it still made a flare of arousal unfurl in her. Her thighs twitched, cinching herself closer upon him. His eyes dilated at it. Her mouth opened slightly in shock, it was so rare for her to feel that now. Maybe all hope was not lost. She needed more to stoke the fire.

“Tell me why you hate me Malfoy. Make me feel it.” His eyes narrowed at the surly look on her face.

Her jerked her even closer. His lips ghosting over hers as he spoke. “Fine, Granger. Though it is a very long list.” She could actually feel his smirk against her cheek and gods she hated it.

He disentangled himself from her hair and brought them to her waist, tugging her sharply against him, that intensely metallic pulse in her core slicing through, making her gasp. But the self-satisfaction on his face made her tense with anger again.

He moved his hips in such a way that she was forced to fall forward, arms bracing against the booth behind him, her hair shrouding them. She caught his shoulders with her hands, fingernails digging in.

He slid his hands up her skirt clamping on the underside of her upper thighs, grinding her onto him as he started talking, eyes never leaving her.

“I hate that you’re here. That I’ll be forced to relive this every time I enter the place.” His voice was hoarse and leaden with lust. He placed his lips on her neck and sucked hard. She quaked and bit her lip to restrain her own sounds now as he released her, moving his mouth to the hollow of her throat.

“I hate that you get on with my friends so well I can’t have one conversation with them without hearing your name.” His hands slid further up her thighs, coming to rest by the crest of her arse, squeezing her and forcing her to take panting exhales.

“I hate that I get on with your friends too and I _hate_ how seeing them makes me think I might see you.” He nipped at her jaw, working his way up to her earlobe and she shivered, making him roll against her again and she burned when she couldn’t stop a small moan.

“Oh fuck,” he convulsed lightly. He swallowed and spoke again at her ear. “I _hate_ seeing you with my parents like we’re one big happy fucking family.” His tongue teased the fine hairs along the shell and this time she needed no direction to gyrate against him. He growled and bit the skin behind her ear, nuzzling into her hair and she pressed into him.

“I hate that any pride I feel in the success of that godsdamned book is owed to you. I hate you saw that opportunity and thought of me.” He grew bolder, shooting one hand out from under her skirt and pushing it against the flat of her back while he moved underneath her. She shuddered at the amazing abrasive feeling of her nipples grazing through her T-shirt as she slid down his chest. His other hand responded by slipping further under her thigh and slightly upwards, half cupping her arse cheek and she could tell his fingers were getting wet from her arousal.

He brought his face to be in front of hers again, close enough that when he licked his lips to continue, he licked hers too.

“I hate the fucking labyrinth of your hair and your smart, pouty fucking mouth and how you’re so _fucking_ good at everything that no one could ever compare to you.”

There was a small beat between them in which Hermione could do nothing except ride through the tendrils of pulsing desire she felt.

“You don’t much hate me at all, do you?” Her eyes watched his own carefully and just like in the Leaky Cauldron eight years ago, she saw the weakness in his resolve but this time she didn’t pull away and he didn’t lock up his walls, he let them fall.

His voice was full and tight with his next words.

“No, I don’t. And I fucking hate it.”

He closed the infinitesimal gap between them, and they kissed with manic fervour. Hermione was dripping with anticipation and wasted no time to relieve herself of the feeling. As his hands explored her hair again, she dipped her own down to his belt. She worked fast and he only had time to moan in her mouth once, his tongue wrapping around hers to pull her closer before she impaled herself on him. She hadn’t prepared for his size and she pulled back with a whimpering moan as he filled her, a hissing growl issuing from him as she moved her hips in a slow circle to more fully accommodate him.

He clenched her hair close to her scalp and she could feel him shake all over and twitch with need inside her, tipping his head back.

He brought it forward again to look at her, his eyes swirling, his voice soft when he spoke, “Fuck you Granger. Fuck you for being so godsdamned perfect.”

They moved simultaneously, no longer willing to wait. He thrust up into her and she pounded down onto him again and again. It was wild and frenzied. Their hands were everywhere. He pressed on the small of her back, pulling her closer. She tugged at the ruined placket of his shirt to press him flush against her. Mouths finding any bit of skin they could, licking, sucking, teething and biting with pants, moans, sighs and growls. Moving over parcels of skin like the path of a tornado, leaving behind a destructive trail of desire.

Hermione felt light-headed. It had been a long time since she’d been with someone. The dearth of want in her leading to a many years long dry spell. It had been even longer since she had been well and truly fucked. She abandoned the last of her reservations and gloried in the drag of him inside her, angling herself to be exactly where she needed. Her clit was rubbing against the angle of his pelvis and a spike of lightly building pleasure raced through her.

She threw herself forward, hands running through his hair, head bent in the crook of his neck. A free laugh exited from her and she felt him turn slightly, his jaw slipping along her cheekbone, wondering what caused the reaction.

She brought her head up, eyes closed and biting her lip, a smile making it drag across her teeth, her hair bouncing as she ground herself down even harder with each movement.

“Mm, this feels so _good_ ,” she breathed across his ear. He made a desperate sound at her words, doubling his efforts and making her breath catch in her throat.

Her words came out fast and hard with every thrust. “Oh. Yes. Malfoy. Fuck me hard. Just. Like. That.” She could feel herself edging near oblivion, a swooping feeling like a myoclonic jerk hit her and her body raced to chase what it hadn’t experienced in about four years.

He tugged her head back again, surging forward to kiss her, but felt her necklace, bobbing between them having come free from beneath her T-Shirt. With a feral growl, he grabbed the stone and wrenched it off her, flinging it away where she heard it hit another table before clinking to the ground.

He kissed her again and her skin felt like it was stinging with prickling fire. So similar but so different from before as she stared where the broken chain of her necklace changed from the charmed gold into the dull flaxen yellow of the broken marriage bond. Her body shuddered and Malfoy cursed again as her body squeezed around him.

Her breaths began coming quicker and she couldn’t take her eyes off the discarded jewellery. Her fingernails dug into him again as she realised the stasis charm had been ripped away from it.

“Oh. Please. Please,” she begged, her body shaking as Malfoy moaned. But the bond disintegrated into dust in a way no _Reparo_ could fix. Her body had been moving automatically while she watched the last of her bond decompose in front of her. She buried her head, resting on Malfoy’s shoulder as she let out a strangled sob, her heart throbbing in pain. Her body was shuddering now, and she could feel Malfoy clutching her closer to him as she shivered and jerked as grief overtook her.

Malfoy jolted beneath her, “Hermione,” he whispered as he came. She didn’t blame him. It would have felt like her pleasure, especially when her panic was still making her twitch on him.

He was gently stroking her back and running a tender hand over her hair, kissing her cheek as he hummed in satisfaction against her.

She was still shaking slightly and breathing heavily over his neck. A hand circled her upper arm, a thumb stroking slowly over her skin.

“You alright there, Granger?” he asked, softly.

He’d actually done a lot for her today. Despite most of it being infuriating. But he’d made sure she would be so mad with him that she wouldn’t hesitate, wouldn’t give herself space to talk herself out of what she needed to do or to overthink and become repulsed from being with him. He’d only touched her when she’d told him and guided him to do so. He hadn’t dared move anywhere too intimate. He’d done everything she’d asked of him and been respectful and even caring in a strange way she didn’t understand properly.

Obviously, he would have had no idea what would happen to her when he pulled the necklace off. She’d had no idea she would react like that either. He still didn’t know. He would have just seen a reminder of his friend between them and removed the obstacle. Her heart sank in her chest, her trauma was too deep. She knew in her bones that she would hit a panicked wall every time. They’d now officially tried everything.

And now here Draco was, checking in with her. His voice breathless and tinged with apprehension that she would be dismissive now. But she knew he didn’t deserve that. Not today. So, she did what she thought was best. She lied.

She placed a sweet kiss to his neck, and he sighed while she drew back, pulling her emotions into her castle. “Yes, I am alright. Thank you, Draco.”

He took a moment to look at her like he was memorising this space in time. He placed a hand to cup her jaw and curl around the nape of her neck and leant forward. He kissed her lovingly, and she fluttered her eyes closed and kissed him back. She could tell he was actually letting himself feel what he usually hid away, and a throb of regret pulsed in her that this is what it could have been like. If only. But there were too many things contingent on that ‘if only’.

She ducked her head down and he pulled away slowly with an air of finality, knowing this was the last of their encounter. His eyes held an odd shine like it had been more than he could possibly have hoped for, a painful glimmer of yearning spilled out before he looked away.

She lifted herself off him and stood, casting a cleaning charm and fixed the rip in her skirt. Her fingers lifted the tie and ribbon off the table, and she walked over to a mirror on the wall. Her hair was wilder than usual after Draco had teased his hands through it. Her makeup slightly smeared, and she touched it up with a quick flick of her hand. She gathered her hair and tied it into a messy bun on top of her head. She tied the ribbon around her neck, flattening the gold tipped ends of the bow so they laid just so before twisting it to the back, happy with the cute choker it made.

She turned back to the booth and _Accio_ ’d her blazer where it had fallen off when she’d straddled Draco. He was still sitting there having righted himself, elbow leaning on the table, hand propping his head up as he watched her.

“I’ll see you later I suppose,” she said and gave a small flourish with her hand before making to leave.

“Hey, Granger,” he called, and she turned cautiously, unsure what to expect.

“When are you leaving for Australia?”

The question threatened to crumble her barely together resolve. “I will be gone in the early hours of Wednesday morning.”

“It’s my birthday tomorrow, we’ve hired out a rooftop bar in Soho. Everyone else is going, even your puppy and his wife. You should come, hang out before you head off.”

She thought about the offer, he always had lavish parties for his birthday, but she’d never been invited before. It would be a lot less suspicious seeing everyone there than making individual house calls. She had a plan for this eventuality. It would be easier to enact with a celebration as a distraction.

“Only if you submit a retraction for tomorrow’s paper,” she crossed her arms.

He grinned at her. “You mean for something in today’s? Whatever for?” his tone was teasing, and he flicked a hand, sending a newspaper out to her. She looked it over carefully. It was definitely today’s, but the front page was all about how the next Quidditch World Cup venue had been decided. She looked at him.

He smirked. “Why do you think I made you wait a week? I had arrangements to make. You don’t think I would raise my parents hopes in such a cruel fashion, surely.”

She laughed. So, he’d somehow created a fake paper to replace Harry and Ginny’s. She should have known, Narcissa and Lucius hadn’t mentioned anything about it at breakfast this morning. How diabolically clever.

“Yes, your parents often tell me whoever has me for a daughter-in-law will be very lucky,” she teased him back. “I’m quite fond of them, you know. They’ve been very kind to me over the years.”

“They are very fond of you as well. They boast of your accomplishments at society dinners as if you really were related to them.” Draco gave a mocking eye roll as they shared a moment at his parent’s slightly overzealous methods. She laughed lightly.

She noticed the way they addressed each other had far less animosity or tension now. It gave her a true smile, one he reciprocated with a quiet laugh. She remembered asking to see this uninhibited side of him at her first Christmas with Theo. If they had more time maybe, in a few years they might even have been friends.

He stopped laughing and looked at her again after a shake of his head. He glanced at the ground, a furrow appearing on his brow. He flicked his hand again and the sunstone floated through the air toward her. Her smile faded as it stilled a few inches away. Her hand held a slight tremble when she reached out for it and she hoped he was too far to see it. She turned to the door.

“OK, I’ll see you tomorrow then.” And she left.

* * *

_8.00pm, Tuesday, 5 June 2012. 3 hours and 4 minutes until the end of the Transit begins.”_

Hermione arrived at the rooftop bar with Ranier. She’d spent most of the day with Devin since he had a lot to tell her about Australia. He had gone to collect Ayano and would be joining them later.

The view up here was stunning, and the space was fun, lots of mood lighting, a spacious bar, an eclectic collection of haphazard furniture with pallets for tables and beer crates and kegs fashioned into seats. There were even pinball machines on one of the walls where Ginny seemed to be having fun judging from her squeals and laughter. It was a lot less refined than she had expected. She broke out in a smile.

Most of her friends were already there and she felt Ranier slink back into the shadows to watch her from a distance. He was the only one who knew her liaison with Draco hadn’t worked. He’d smelled it on her as soon as she’d left the club. Being a vamp though, he’d seen countless mortals spin through their life cycle and her impending death didn’t seem to bother him very much.

“Hello, Hermione,” Luna’s breathy voice wafted from behind her. Hermione turned with a smile.

“Hey Luna, no Rolf tonight?”

“He’s travelling to New Zealand to study a taniwha.” Luna’s look turned a fraction more serious. “I saw Theodore when I came in, he will be up here soon. Jacqueline isn’t with him tonight.”

Hermione blinked twice in quick succession. Damn, her heart was aching again. “Thanks, Luna.”

Luna linked arms with her and drew Hermione away, placing her squarely beside Pansy before heading to the bar.

“Hermione, Mione, Mione. I can’t believe you’re leaving us _again_. And just when it was getting good, too. You’ve finally fucked Malfoy and now he’s all… well, I mean, just bloody _look_ at him.” Oh dear, Pansy was drunk already. Hermione conjured some water from the bar.

“Pansy, you might want to drink this. Where’s Neville?” Pansy obediently took the water from her but still scowled in a way Hermione was very familiar with. She scanned the people around and found Neville talking to Draco and Blaise.

Oh… she saw what Pansy meant. Draco was smiling and laughing, and she thought that perhaps this was the first time in a very long while since she’d seen him relaxed. It looked like he was having fun. Actual fun, tipsy but not just drinking to lose himself. And from the laughter and grins the other two had she thought that for once he wasn’t being snarky. The three of them seemed to be having a really good time. Neville was obviously telling them something hilarious since Blaise was clutching his stomach and Draco was having to use him for balance, he was laughing so hard. It was entirely bewildering.

A thought struck her, a remembered conversation. “Theo once told me he was different on his birthday,” she cocked her head. He was quite different, she leaned back suddenly. He seemed friendly, _approachable_ even. She shivered. How disconcerting.

“I believe I told you he was almost nice on his birthday. Whatever that thing over there is, it isn’t any Draco I know,” Theo’s teasing voice appeared beside them and he handed Hermione a drink. A cocktail she used to order all the time.

Pansy sat up straighter. She giggled. She expected drama, that couldn’t be good.

“Mm, Theo’s right, Mione. Draco is definitely better on his birthday. More earnest, not as sarcastic, but not like that. Do you know what he did when I arrived? He _hugged_ me. Fucking lifted me up and everything.”

Theo laughed. “Oh yes, he’s been completely Granger-ed then. We always thought this would happen. It’s strange actually seeing him happy.”

“Suits him though, doesn’t it,” Pansy replied, and Theo nodded. Hermione furrowed her brow at the odd turn of conversation. She glanced down, she’d already finished the cocktail. If Theo insisted on being near her, she’d probably have to take her anxiety medicine soon, which meant she’d have to slow down her drinking or she wouldn’t be able to Apparate later. She took Pansy’s discarded water and drank it.

Pansy sent her a teasing look gesturing between Hermione and Theo. “You know, as glad as I was for the two of you, I always secretly preferred the idea of you and Draco together, Mione.”

Theo laughed in a way that indicated he’d thought as much. Hermione’s furrow was back as she looked at the middle space between her knees and the faux-grass the rooftop was coated in.

Pansy jostled her, drawing her gaze up. “Don’t be mad. It’s just you and Theo came as a surprise. I had so many ‘I told you so’s’ ready for Draco if he ever actually got with you. They all seem like wasted opportunities before and they are going to be _so_ fun.”

Another burst of laughter came from the Blaise and Draco as Neville rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed.

“What can possibly be so hilarious?” Hermione mused, relieved for the distraction.

“Oh, I’m sure Nev’s telling them about an unfortunate encounter he had with a Creeper Tentacula recently. I told him not to keep it in our bedroom, but apparently it has just the right amount of light.” Pansy floated an arm around as she spoke. She turned a heated gaze onto Hermione. “It’s technically your fault. You gave him the kink after all.”

Hermione’s eyebrows shot up. “Sorry, what now?” Theo was laughing, ready for whatever this was.

“You remember when you used _Petrificus Totalus_ on Nev in first year? Well, that awakened something in him. Now he likes that spell to be used on him in the bedroom and I’m allowed to do anything I like. _Anything_. It’s amazing.”

Hermione opened her mouth, but nothing came out. There was nothing she could really say to that. Theo laughed harder. Her stomach turned over itself at the sound. So familiar yet she so rarely heard it now.

“And then, the kids needed me, so I left him like that. Just for a bit. And when I came back the bloody plant was trying to strangle his bloody cock off him!”

Hermione brought a hand to cover her mouth in shock, as laughter escaped her while Theo almost fell off his seat. “Oh Merlin, Pansy! Is he OK?”

The witch just grinned but left the answer up to Hermione’s imagination.

The conversation moved on naturally and Hermione managed to relax around Theo, her skin losing the prickling heat she usually felt around him. She still couldn’t look at him for very long, her body turned very much to Pansy and everything she did was still just a little exaggerated like she was trying to be normal, but it was better than nothing. She was glad she got to do this before… before… A lump forced its way to her throat, and she had to take a large, controlled exhale to stop it from extending its tendrils to her tear ducts. She could feel it trying.

She swallowed it down, there was no point dwelling. She wondered where Harry was. The place was getting pretty busy now, a bunch of people she either only vaguely recognised or didn’t know at all.

Oh, except him.

He caught her eye and she practically skipped over to him with a large smile on her face, leaving Theo and Pansy mid-sentence. She made a small, excited noise when he gave her a big hug.

“Oh wow, hi Oliver! I haven’t seen you in years!”

His easy smile was still there, as was his appreciation of her if the lingering touch at her elbow was any indication.

“Hermione, so good to see you. Here I thought you may have forgotten me on your ascendancy to being one of the most influential people in Europe.”

His eyes twinkled at her and she shook her head at his teasing. “How could I possibly forget Olly. You left me with an awful lot to remember.” She coloured a little, bringing the fingers of her left hand to flutter over her mouth. “Sorry, that’s probably completely inappropriate.”

But he was laughing at her embarrassment, relaxing her. He was still so effortless to be around. His affable nature had always made him such good company.

“Not at all,” he reassured her. “Cho and I broke up over a year ago.”

“Ah,” she didn’t want to overstep by asking too much. She bit her lip wondering where to direct the conversation next. Oliver watched the motion and took a sip of his drink.

Hermione gave him an amused look of distaste. His drink looked awful, thick and bright green.

“Merlin Oliver, whatever are you drinking? It looks positively vile.”

He laughed tilting the glass, appraising it. “I asked the bartender what they recommended. I got this. It’s not my preferred well, anything really. Want to give it a go?” he held it out with a tempting wiggle.

She laughed and lifted it from him, sniffing it tentatively. Strangely it smelled of cotton. She gave Olly a mock-furtive glance and he grinned at her waiting for her reaction. She took a small taste of it before thrusting it at his chest, screwing up her face and he laughed hard.

He took her hand and squeezed it briefly as the drink was returned to him. “I’m sorry!” he was still laughing. “I had to, that was so worth it.”

“Why does it taste like bubblegum AND grass?” she poked out her tongue in repulsion and playfully shoved his shoulder. “Ugh why, Olly, why?”

“I don’t know! Ask the bartender.”

Hermione laughed herself. “I meant, why are you still drinking it? Malfoy must have sprung for an open bar, surely?”

There was a small moment where Olly just took in her smile and overly enthusiastic hand gestures like he’d missed them. “Well yeah, but after a couple sips it became a challenge.”

“Fine. Challenge accepted.” She took it back from him and downed it. Her face creased in true pain as the simultaneously bitter and far too sweet liquid made its way down. She pouted with a distressed crease on her forehead. “I regret everything.”

Oliver looked surprised but broke out in another smile. She grabbed his arm.

“Come on, let’s get you an actual drink.” The place was even busier now so when Olly drifted his hand down her arm to thread her fingers, she let him. Easier to wind through the party that way.

She hadn’t been out in public much while in England and she noticed now that her appearance was garnering a bit of attention. People wound around her instinctively, watching her as she passed. She’d forgotten how uncomfortable it could be. No wonder Harry and Ginny were tucked away in a corner.

It did mean that a space opened up at the bar as soon as she got there, and she dropped Oliver’s hand pretending she needed to itch her forearm. Her ears were twitching backward as she heard people whispering about her. A slight movement in the shadow space by the bar made her relax though. Ranier would interfere if needed, confiscate pictures or influence people to leave her alone.

Olly was looking at her questioningly.

“It’s nothing,” she answered the silent query. “It’s terribly pretentious of me but I’m not used to just being out like this. Usually, I’m required to attend controlled events where decorum is a necessity and conversation is only a tool used to gain opportunities.” She wafted a hand with a dramatic flourish and rolled her eyes.

“Hermione Granger. Slumming it with us regular folk for once,” Oliver teased. “Now how to make the experience more authentic?”

Hermione pondered the question and leaned on the bar. The top of it lit them up in neon colours and Oliver gave her a flirtatious smile while he watched her make up her mind.

“Oh, fine! Why not.” She turned to the bartender noticing the small collection of Muggle alcohol. “Tequila. Lime not lemon, please.” She held out two fingers to indicate how many shots she wanted.

The staff member automatically used top shelf and placed salt and lime alongside the liquor.

Oliver studied it and gave a light laugh. “How is this going to be any better than the monstrosity I had earlier?”

“This is essentially performative, and it will be over quicker.” She quirked her lips playfully at him showing him the ropes of how to do the shot the Muggle way. She plucked a cube of ice out of a champagne bucket on the bar and ran it over Oliver’s hand near the curve of his thumb, doing the same to herself. Then added the salt while he watched, fascinated. She took the lime in one hand and the shot in the other. “Alright, the order is salt, then shot then lime OK?”

He laughed, sceptical. “OK?” he cocked his head at her. Waiting for her to take the lead.

Keeping her eyes on him, she licked the salt off her hand in one slow fluid motion, and held his gaze while he copied her, his eyes telling her he enjoyed the sight. They shot the liquid back and then bit down on the lime. Hermione swayed a little and made a little squealing noise at the strong burn of alcohol.

Oliver made a face at her and laughed. “Well, I see why you need the lime. Phwoar, that’s a lot.” He shook his head a little.

“I had to, that was so worth it,” she copycatted back at him. Her eyes slid past him to where Harry was trying to get her attention, waving a bottle of bubbles and some glasses at her.

Oliver swiveled to see where she was looking and waved to Harry. He turned back. “Ginny looks like she’s trying to kill that machine, we should go join them.”

Hermione gave him a genuine smile, thanking him for getting them away from where the crowd was staring at her. He didn’t take her hand this time thank goodness. She should have realised people would notice.

Harry gave her a glass and hugged her before shaking Olly’s hand. “Tequila, Mione? Really?” He poked his tongue out at her.

She grinned. “Shut up, I’m trying to have fun.”

“And are you?” Harry filled her and Olly’s glasses.

“Of course, with the help of the wonderful Mr. Wood here.” She gestured her glass in his direction and he clinked it before they took a sip.

Harry gave Hermione a teasing glance before flitting his eyes between herself and Olly. “Gin? Hermione’s finally joined us. Want to stop eviscerating that pinball machine now?”

The machine blipped and whirred making lewd mocking noises while the pinball fell between the blockers once again. Ginny stalked over to them.

“That contraption is a bastard pissweasel. I hate it and will burn its family.” Ginny’s competitiveness coming out in an entertaining snarl. She downed the glass Harry gave her and immediately topped it up.

“Oh hey, Oliver! Good to see you.” She gave him an excited hug, temper lifted. She waggled her eyebrows at Hermione over his shoulder.

Her friends had zero subtlety. She prayed they wouldn’t be too embarrassing. To say there was no future with Oliver was a tad underselling it.

“Isn’t it so good to see Oliver again, Mione?” Gin physically turned Olly to her. Great. Embarrassing right out the gate. Hermione sighed and tried to salvage the conversation.

“I was actually surprised to see you here, given whose party this is. The last time I was aware you interacted was when I attacked him in your office.”

“Oh yes, I remember that day. Though I prefer to focus on what happened after he left.” He winked at her, referring to their romantic interlude following the event. She blushed. “But actually, I’m quite good friends with Draco now.”

She couldn’t hide her astounded expression.

“No, really.” Olly assured her with a nod. “A few years ago, he apologised for that day. Properly even, he was all embarrassed and contrite. Bloody weird at the time but after that I’d see him at Quidditch games with Harry and Gin here or Theo and he was alright really. He has a good eye for the new recruits, we usually catch up a few times a year for drinks now.”

Hermione blinked not really knowing how to absorb that. Her eyes slid across the room and found Draco was already looking over at her. She held his gaze, still trying to fit the pieces together. Her experiences didn’t match what she kept hearing. He gave a small head tilt and glanced to the empty space beside him.

“I’m being summoned,” she told the others, giving a light smile and patting Oliver’s arm with a comment that she’d be back then started heading over. But before she got too far someone grabbed her wrist.

Harry pulled her toward him and made a show of topping up her glass, but he had a serious look on his face.

“Mione, I know you probably are completely unaware of this, but you’ve been torturing Draco all night.”

“I-” Hermione pulled her head back in shock. “What do you mean, Harry?”

Harry kept his eyes on her leaning in to answer quietly. “It would have taken him a lot to ask you over. He’s been watching you with Theo and then Olly, he’ll be feeling sick with it. And I know you don’t owe him anything and he really, really needs to apologise to you... But it’s the guy’s birthday, and we’re drinking his booze, just… be gentle OK?”

Hermione looked at her friend, confused. “Draco is _not_ my friend so you’re right, I don’t owe him anything. He was perfectly respectful the other day, but that doesn’t make up for everything he’s said and done to me over the years. I can only promise to reciprocate the treatment I receive. But I love you, so I’ve come prepared tonight to be nice… at first.”

Harry accepted that with a nod and sent her on her way. Hermione looked back once while she wound around the partygoers, but she lost Harry amongst the throng. She pulled her head back as she reached where Draco was standing with Blaise, Giu, Theo and Pansy.

“Alright there, Hermione?” Blaise asked her.

She blinked and dropped the quizzical look off her face and smiled. “Sorry. Yes, I’m good.”

Blaise winked at her and whispered something in Giu’s ear. Hermione drew her eyes up to Draco.

“Happy, Happy Birthday,” she trilled. She gave him a smile and leant in automatically to hug him. This had been her birthday greeting for as long as she could remember but she wondered if she made a mistake as he stiffened when she put her arms around him. She quickly drew back.

“Sorry, it’s tradition. You invite me to your birthday, that’s how you get greeted,” she sing-songed at him trying to be friendly and tilted her head to her upraised shoulder, looking to Pansy for confirmation.

“It’s tru-ue,” Pansy chirped back, booping Hermione on the nose.

Draco gave a soft chuckle, relaxing a little. “Right, sorry. It was just unexpected. You look lovely tonight by the way.”

They both ignored Pansy’s smirk and the way she tapped both her husband and a newly-arrived Ron and Fay to pay attention.

“Your father bought this for my birthday last year actually.” She glanced down at the blue silk with black velvet patterns on it.

“That explains the peacocks then,” Draco quipped, taking a drink with a knowing smile.

Hermione looked down at the bodice of the dress and pulled the skirt wide to look properly. and indeed, the velvet was not a random pattern of swirls but stylised peacocks with curling tails.

Hermione tsked and pouted in exasperation. “Lucius… I told him two years ago no more peacocks. He must have been so pleased to sneak another one under my nose.” Draco laughed and she addressed him again. “They won’t be here tonight?”

He shook his head. “No. We had dinner earlier. Family tradition. Since it was my birthday, they only brought you up in conversation five times. Well below their usual quota.”

She gave a puff of amusement and drew an item out of her dress pocket. “I brought along something for you. Here-” she enlarged the item and handed it to him.

He raised an eyebrow, “ _Mastering Magic Manipulation_? You know I’m rather familiar with one of the authors so already have a stockpile of these.”

She rolled her eyes with a teasing quirk to her lips. “Of course, I know that. But this is one I have annotated with notes and rather terrible drawings and I’ve highlighted my favourite passages.” She shrugged and watched him open it randomly where she saw a couple lines highlighted and a cartoon skull dancing in the margin with a note reading _I freaking DIED!_ and further up the page an arrow pointing to a paragraph with another addition _This so absolutely needs to be a lecture series._ “I don’t know, it’s probably really stupid and I doubt you’re interested in my opinion on it anyway. But Morty has been needling me to do this for him so you can enjoy his sulking that you got one instead.”

Draco’s expression was carefully blank as he flipped through the pages, but the rest of their friends were looking between them curiously and she felt like she was missing something. At that moment she wished she could read him as easily as she could his father.

She was going to ask but spotted Devin. He was bounding up to her excitedly clutching a letter.

“Mione, this came for you! It’s from the International Confederation of Wizards!”

Hermione gently pulled the expensive parchment out of Devin’s hands and reduced its size to fit in her pocket.

“You’re not going to open it now?” Devin asked, curiosity tugging at him.

She smiled. “Maybe when I’m gone.” And he looked disappointed knowing he wouldn’t be there to read it right after her. “No Ayano?” she queried.

“She was too tired, but she wishes you luck and safe travels. She’ll see you in Australia soon anyway.”

Hermione smiled but was a little sad. She wouldn’t see Ayano again. She wouldn’t meet their child either. She pulled Devin into a hug.

“What’s this for?” Devin asked, hugging her back.

Hermione pulled away and shrugged.

“She had tequila,” Harry told Devin. He’d come over with Ginny and Oliver who were in some heated debate about a Quidditch team’s Chaser roster.

Devin clucked his tongue. “Hermione, tequila? Really?” Devin eyes were travelling around the group though. Resting on Oliver then Hermione then looking past her to where she knew Draco stood. He was wary, scoping out the situation.

It had taken a lot of convincing to assure Devin everything had gone well the other day with Draco. He’d insisted on making sure though. She’d sent him a compromised memory. A memory of her remembering the event, though she changed the ending somewhat. She kept a careful smile on her face to not show the swirling guilt she felt. Doing that to Devin was possibly the most despicable thing she had ever done. She’d never once lied to him and she was using that to take advantage of him now.

Ever since Monday her heart had felt leaden in her chest, dully thumping like it knew the end was coming. Hermione, at long last, had given up and didn’t want anyone pressuring her or being upset in her last hours.

She smiled around the table, idly listening to conversation and making remarks when needed, laughing when needed, tilting her head curiously when needed. But really, she was memorising their faces.

They were all happy, it made everything in her swell to see it. It had been a long time since anyone needed her. It wasn’t that she was superfluous to their lives, no she felt their love every time she saw them, but she knew they would be OK. They had coped without her for a long time. She supposed that was a blessing at least.

They had each other, she’d always loved that about her friends, how they were closer to her than family. How they supported each other and would give you hell when you needed it but build you up, too. They felt your lows, celebrated your highs and were there for all the in-betweens. Even though, like Lucius said, sometimes they were idiots.

They were good people, wonderful people. She felt that strange pang of missing them all terribly despite not having gone anywhere yet. Would she miss them? It appeared her soul would be consumed by the spell, so what did that mean? Did it even matter that she was trying to memorise these last interactions? Probably not, right? She wondered if it would hurt.

She felt in her pocket and clasped her hand around the small bottle that was there. She’d prepared a potion that she wasn’t sure she’d take yet. It would disintegrate her body to ash rapidly much like the marriage bond had. She’d need to take it five minutes before the Transit ended. She wasn’t sure if she preferred someone to find her body or for no one to find it ever. Her lawyer knew to send out a bundle of letters one month after she was reported missing or dead. She’d had that contingency in place since she married Theo.

She knew she should keep wanting to fight, she could throw herself on Draco’s mercy, but she honestly didn’t know what would change. When she’d tried by herself just this afternoon she’d given herself a nose bleed when she shoved the surging memories back too fast, slamming them into her castle violently.

She remembered how brave Harry had been when faced with the same fate. She was determined to do the same. But he’d never told her how heavy it felt, how every beat of her heart felt like the traitorous tick of a clock. Every thump reminding her that oblivion was one second closer.

It just seemed so… present. Like it was time but also like it should never be time.

A loud bout of laughter pulled her out of her morbid thoughts. A hand grazed her arm and she turned towards it.

“Hey, I need to go, early morning with the Quidditch World Cup Committee,” Oliver told her. “Just wanted to say how great it was to see you again. Good luck in Australia.”

She smiled and slid her arms under his own in a hug. “Look after yourself OK, Olly?”

“Yeah, you too.”

She squeezed and let him go, he gave her a smile, waved at the table receiving the same back before clapping Harry on the back and heading off. Hermione’s eyes were drawn to Draco who had watched the interaction closely.

He was the only one she didn’t know about. She hadn’t really considered it much, she guessed that he’d be fine, the compulsion most likely alleviating with her passing if it hadn’t already after they’d slept together.

“You’re going to be alright, aren’t you?” she asked him on a whim.

He gave her a puzzled look. “I don’t see why I wouldn’t be,” he said hesitantly looking at her with mild suspicion.

She waved her hand. “Never mind.” Right then a painful strike tore across her side. She winced and hissed.

Ginny had squealed and Pansy had twitched a little and looked down where the sensation occurred.

“Transit must have begun,” Pansy remarked idly.

Hermione’s eyes slid past Pansy and without meaning to she locked eyes with Theo.

She could tell he was remembering the end of them, his eyes swirling through memories as he looked at her with the horrifically blank nothingness.

Most people called it a break-up. Those people were fucking stupid. Break-up was such a pitiful word for what it had been.

Everything felt hot and tight and entirely too much. The heart that had been so lacklustre all day now beat fast and erratic like it was sprinting in a zigzag fashion away from a predator. She wanted to throw up and cry and run.

She decided to do the last one.

She picked up her glass and turned toward the bar as if going to get another drink. She hadn’t known it would be like this, the room warbled around her and her breathing was edging into panicked again. She knew there was about five hours left of the Transit, but she couldn’t be here anymore. She just couldn’t do it.

She set the glass on the bar with what she hoped was a pleasant smile and she wound through the crowd, hating how many people were here now.

At the exit she looked over one last time at the tables her friends were crowded around. She smiled sadly.

Rainier was suddenly beside her.

“Promise you won’t tell them?’ she asked.

“Prromize,” he confirmed. Dark eyes searing into her. “Zorry I could not zave you zis time.”

He cupped her face, thumb stroking her cheek. His eyes were wild and deep, inky regrets swimming in them.

She held her palm out. He took a small, tied parcel out of her jacket pocket. Undoing it carefully he tipped the contents into her hand.

And she Portkeyed away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end is nigh.
> 
> I love your comments. You can also send me your vitriol on my tumbler: priorityskinshipping-blog
> 
> There's not much there except some text posts and a couple mood boards for this series. I'm not normally a social media person since I kinda suck at it. 
> 
> Chapter 15: The End will be uploaded: 19/2 NZT (or sooner if I'm happy with it, thank you for your patience)


	15. The End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end of the Transit of Venus has begun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Warnings for panic attacks.
> 
> If you want, you can find me on tumblr where I post drabbles and nonsense. https://bit.ly/3bdsXTO
> 
> I want to say thank you so much for everyone that has taken this journey with me. It's my first longer fic that I have completed and I've started making outlines for the next two in this series. 
> 
> I agonised over this chapter and there are so many versions of it floating around my computer. I thank you so much for your patience.
> 
> Your comments have meant everything to me and I have met some truly wonderful people through this. And that has been my favourite thing about publishing this story.
> 
> Much love to you all,  
> L

****

**Chapter Fifteen: The End**

“So did Mione give it to you?” Devin sidled up to him, a knowing grin on his face.

Draco nodded and laughed. “It’s such a very _her_ present. Of course she’d make the most valuable version of my book one she’d scribbled all over. I would guess it will double in price every year.” He shook his head with a laugh and caught Devin smiling cheekily at him.

“But you’ll never sell it.”

Draco tapped his glass, “Of course not. No matter what it’s appraised at, it would still be worth more to me.”

Devin pat his shoulder once before letting his hand fall. “You should tell her that. It would help fast track a friendship at least.”

Draco quirked his lips but didn’t say anything.

“Would you mind satisfying my curiosity about your side of the Transit?” Devin asked.

“As long as Granger isn’t around, sure.”

Devin laughed. “OK, I’ll stop as soon as she gets back.”

Draco waved an arm as if telling him to go ahead.

“So, the compulsion Cressida Malfoy instilled in you, is it gone?”

“I think so, it’s hard to tell. A lot of it lessened when I found out about her real runes. But yeah, I think it’s gone now.”

“What do you mean it’s hard to tell?” Devin tilted his head.

Draco watched to see if Granger was around, but she hadn’t come back yet. “I still want to see her all the time and I feel better when she’s around but…” he couldn’t say more.

“But you think that’s usual ‘being in love’ stuff?” Devin smirked at him.

“Oh, Salazar kill me now,” he cringed, giving a self-deprecating laugh.

“So, you _are_ still in love with her, despite the compulsion having dissipated?”

Draco sighed. “Even more so than ever. Much to her chagrin if she knew I’m sure.”

“How so?” Devin queried. “I know you don’t usually talk about it, but maybe it’ll be good for you.”

Devin always had a knack for getting Draco to admit more than he’d like.

Uncharacteristically he coloured a touch as he thought about how to explain it. “Being with her… it was like having the most decadent, delicious ambrosia, satisfying in ways I didn’t even know existed. But it was also the only one in the world. I was selfish enough to try savour the experience and she was kind enough to let me.” A languishing emotion rippled in him; an emptiness akin to hunger that he had no business feeling.

“What about-” but Devin was interrupted by Granger’s vampire who prowled between them making them turn and take a step away from the rest of their friends.

“I come to zay gudbye,” he told Devin with a significant look. The wizard appeared confused.

“Aren’t you coming with us to Australia now? I was quite looking forward to seeing a vampire Down Under.”

“I go back to ze Meeniztry, she iz not ready. I go to anozer time.” Rainier shrugged.

“Don’t you mean come back another time?” Devin looked even more confused and there was a sliver of worry coming through his voice. Draco tried to figure out what was wrong. There was laughter around the rest of the table, no one else seemed to be paying attention to this.

The vampire smiled wide, too wide. His teeth glinting under the ever-changing lights and shook his head so very slowly.

“Ranier,” Devin gripped the vampire’s arm tightly which the vamp looked at with amusement. “Where is Hermione?”

Rainier drew his eyes up to Devin’s and licked a fang. “She zlink off lihke pussy keettin.”

“What. Do. You. Mean.” Devin’s voice ground like a metal chain on gravel. Draco shivered at how tense the wizard was. Something terrible was coming. Draco felt his body react to danger. A looming yawn opened up in his stomach, a bottomless pit, ready for a freefall.

“She go to die.”

All the wind knocked out of Draco as if he’d been hit by the Knight Bus. His innards squeezing python-like, and he gripped his shirt around his waist. A cold sweat broke out, the words rolling over him like a searing burn.

Fuck. Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck. What had gone wrong? Why didn’t she say anything? Why was this motherfucker so fucking calm?

Draco felt sick, worse than sick. Black spots swam in his vision as he fought to draw a breath, but his lungs had forgotten how. He didn’t dare move because he thought he would fall down if he did. All he could hear was his own pounding heartbeat as a screaming hysteria tried to set in.

Devin was livid. He had violently pulled Ranier close, threatening him, but the vampire just looked back nonplussed.

Draco hastily Occluded, finally drawing a large breath and coughing as the air felt like sandpaper in his throat.

He pulled Devin away from the vamp and the rest of the table to a quieter corner with less people around.

‘No! Let me go, Malfoy! If I don’t keep hold of him-” but as someone passed by, a roving strobe hit them, casting a long shadow over their table. The vampire grinned and vanished.

‘Fuck!” Devin thundered. “That fucking bastard. Fucking own-agenda-serving fuck!”

Draco shook him. “Devin, get it together!” his voice was rasping and breathless.

The man turned to him, eyes wild ready to spew acid at him, too.

‘Stop. Anger will do nothing. Go inside yourself and get sorted. You know her best and I need you. So come on, get it the fuck together!” Draco’s voice was shaking, and his mental walls were trembling. He lightly shook Devin again, casting a _Muffliato_ around them so the sounds of the bar lessened.

He saw Devin try to Occlude, a hand gripping his hair as he screwed his eyes shut in concentration, breathing through his mouth in panting bursts.

Draco looked at him desperately, his mind in overdrive shouting at him. _Not Hermione. Please. Please, please, please. Not Hermione. Fuck, fuck, fuck._

He was barely holding on, but he could see Devin was worse. He was shaking his head and when he opened his eyes, Draco could tell he’d failed putting his emotions away.

Devin inhaled a rattling breath through his nostrils. His eyes welling with tears, brow furrowed, trying to make sense of it. Two hands fisting on the top of his head as if he was trying to keep his brain in one piece.

“She lied to me. Why would she lie to me? She’s _never_ lied to me.” His voice was broken, and Draco knew he wouldn’t be recovering anytime soon.

“Devin, no. Come on, _please_. I need you right now. I don’t know her well enough to do this alone. Shit, _please_ , Devin.” Draco pleaded with the man. But Devin was clinging onto him for dear life as he tried to focus on breathing.

Draco dragged him over to a seat and felt him basically collapse. He pushed Devin’s head between the man’s knees as he broke into desolate sobs.

The sound almost crushed the little that was left of Draco’s resolve. But one of them needed to hold it together.

He conjured a glass of water and placed it in Devin’s hands.

“What did the vampire tell you?” he asked, crouching low. He looked back at the table. But with the dim lighting, and loud atmosphere plus the general frivolity of the evening, no one seemed to have noticed their absence yet.

Devin gulped the liquid down; his crying now tracks of tears rather than the wracking spurts from before.

“I should have known. We’d tried everything.” Devin said. He sounded so hollow Draco could have sworn his words echoed.

He took a deep breath. _Stay calm. Stay calm for her_. “Devin, what happened? Why didn’t it work?”

Devin took two large breaths. “Ranier said she had another panic attack. She-” but he choked off in another sob. “She’s been having them for years, anytime she tries to be with anyone, or even herself she remembers what happened with Theo and she panics. Oh gods,” he broke again, clutching his chest.

The sick feeling swirled through Draco once more, reaching his oesophagus this time before he swallowed it back down. He did this to her. He must have.

Devin’s face was creased into a terrible sort of pain and he gripped Draco’s hand when he tried to stand. Devin breathed out once more and held on to a small sense of clarity. “Hear me OK, this is important. You couldn’t have known. It’s so hard to tell, the panic attacks twitch and jerk through her, every part of her tenses and she shakes. There are so many times I’ve heard her go through her therapy and I couldn’t tell. It can be so similar.” His eyes were glassy. “Oh, fuck. I mean, I knew it was a long shot, but I so wanted it to be true.”

He started crying again but Draco felt like he’d needed to tell someone all this for a while so let him expel it, hoping he would be calmer once he had.

“It’s been so hard watching her, Draco. She tries so hard. Even when she badly wants to give up, so she doesn’t have to feel the pain, she always tries. But when she starts feeling pleasure, her brain throws up barriers and gives her heartbreak instead. Oh gods, you should have heard her first sessions with her therapist when we finally figured out this was a real problem about three years ago. I sat outside the office and the way she screamed… I’ve never heard a _Crucio_ but I can’t imagine it could be worse than that.”

He broke again and this time Draco hung his head, too. No Occluding able to stop the tears he let loose. Memories of Hermione screaming and pleading under the influence of his aunt’s torture shredding through him like an animal was trapped in his ribcage.

“Fuck. Merlin, why her, Devin? Why does this shit always happen to her?”

“I really wish I knew. If I did I would _Avada_ the ever-loving fuck out of it. You know, on her therapy days, sometimes she has to endure going through the memory ten or more times. And that’s just the emotional pain, the physical leaves bruises and deep, gouging wounds. Once she dug her hands into her chest so deep trying to claw her heart out that I had to knit the flesh back together. It took me hours. She’s too well-known for hospitals, we’d have to explain every visit. And then there’s the fucking press...” An anger Draco had never heard from the wizard was now vibrating through his words at how unfair it all was.

“But there you go, the tragedy of Hermione Granger. A woman so kind she gave some shitty kid she accidentally got fired the opportunity of a lifetime, so powerful she saved Britain who knows how many times. She changed the entire continent and loved so hard she summoned a goddess only to be heartbroken every day. A heartbreak caused by trying to save herself from her own guilt-manifested curse. She’s amazing. The best friend I ever had…”

This outpouring had brought a semblance of lucidity back to Devin, he clenched his jaw and sat up, giving Draco a steely look of thanks.

“Fuck. Right. Now we save her or barring that... we don’t let her die alone.”

Draco felt another welling of emotion with that statement and Devin gave him a hardened glare.

“You with me on this? Not going to fall apart like I did?”

Draco shook his head.

“OK then. Get Harry.” He paused on his next words, gritting his teeth having made a decision. “And Theo.”

Draco jerked his head up, but Devin wasn’t looking at him. His eyes flicked back and forth as he bounced his legs alternately in thought.

“You want me to get Theo?”

Devin’s knees stilled and he leant down, placing elbows on the limbs he had been bobbing.

“Yes. All roads lead to Theo.” Devin flicked his head toward where their friends were, dismissing him and went back to formulating a plan.

Draco rubbed his face with one hand and blew out a short, sharp exhale stepping away. Theo was already glancing over at them, a pinched look on his face. Draco crooked his pointer and middle finger twice and Theo put his glass down before coming over.

“What’s up, Drake? Devin wasn’t looking so good before. Everything alright?” Theo was searching him carefully, his eyes discerning. Draco knew Theo could tell something was wrong with him too but knew better than to comment on it.

“Where’d Harry go?” Draco ignored his friend’s question, replacing it since he couldn’t see Potter at the table. However, Ginny was there so he hadn’t left.

“Bathroom, I think? His glass is still there.” Theo turned to the table briefly, hands in his pockets. “Though Hermione didn’t come back either, maybe they’re having a chat somewhere.”

Draco shook his head and Theo creased his brow and tilted his head, the question in his eyes.

‘Just… go see Devin. We need you for something.”

“Since you are, lo and behold, emoting for once… I guess it has something to do with her?”

“Just go. I have to get Harry.”

Theo raised his hands in a gesture of placation, walking backwards away from him towards Devin.

Draco scanned the crowd, but the lights were flashing, and the place was too busy to try find the wizard. He flicked his wand, “ _Parvus Patronum_ ,” he intoned. A miniature version of his orca Patronus appeared. “Find Harry Potter,” he told the silvery guardian.

It set off and Draco followed it through the club. This version couldn’t convey messages but a regular Patronus would be too large for this space.

Draco followed the conjuration to the exit. He found Harry down the elevator on the street running a hand through his hair.

“Draco, I can’t find Hermione. Do you-” he hesitated, colouring and looking away from him. “You think maybe she left with Oliver?”

“Hermione’s gone.”

“I know. I’m trying to figure out where.”

“So are we.” Harry cocked his head at him, confused. “She’s _gone_. We need you. That vampire bodyguard of Granger’s told us she’s going to die.”

Harry laughed. “I’m sure he’s just winding you up. The few conversations I’ve had with that man… he’s got a twisted sense of humour.” He spun around as if Hermione was going to appear out of thin air somewhere.

“Harry, look at me.” The wizard obliged as his eyes roved over Draco’s tense stance, the tightness in his eyes, and worried set to his jaw.

“Oh.” Harry ran his hand over his hair again. “Oh, shit. Fuck.”

He started pacing, growing very pale and Draco exhaled hard, gritting his teeth. He didn’t have time to deal with another freak-out.

He thought fast.

“Head Auror Potter.” Harry stilled and looked at him, automatically assuming an air of authority. “I need to report a missing witch, you need to speak with Devin Montague.”

He could see Harry’s shoulders set in determination and the panic receded back into him for now. He swept an arm impatiently, gesturing for Draco to go ahead first. He turned to head back to the rooftop, but Devin and Theo exited the building and came over.

“What’s going on, Montague?” Harry’s voice was hard. He wanted to direct his worry somewhere but didn’t know who to put it on. He was in full Auror mode. Devin picked it up quickly.

“About fifteen minutes ago Hermione left here for an undisclosed location. Before we can do anything, I need you to go to the Portkey office and find if there has been anything created for someone called Perdita Antigonus in the last six weeks. Check the travel ledger in the Department of Mysteries as well if you can. Rainier may have arranged one for her himself. The four of us will also need a Portkey with an activation word and return capability. It won’t be perfect, but I can spell it when I know where we need to go.”

Harry gave a large sigh and Draco saw his jaw set. “There are strict procedures that need to be followed. I will have to rouse a Wizengamot member and I doubt they’ll take too kindly to-”

“Then you flash that scar of yours, shake the remnants of that godsdamned prophecy and fucking remind them who the fuck you are!” Devin was glaring at Harry. His eyes held an unusual fury. It wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment anger; this one had been brewing for a while.

“I can’t just ignore-” Harry started but Devin cut him off with a harsh cut in the air with his arm.

“Fuck you.”

There was a long pause. Harry seemed taken aback by how hateful Devin sounded. Draco looked the younger man over. He was shaking, fists clenched at his sides. Theo was poised ready to hold him back if needed but seemed unsurprised by the reaction.

Harry tried to soften the conversation. “I know you’re upset, I’m just saying that there are rules. Not just rules, laws we have to adhere to.”

Devin actually sneered at him. “Of course. The grand Harry Potter failing his best friend once again.”

“Devin,” Theo touched the man on the shoulder. “This isn’t the time.”

Devin aggressively rolled his shoulder away from Theo’s touch.

Harry’s face had dropped. “When have I ever failed Hermione?”

“You don’t _listen_ to her! You took away her agency! You fucking bullied her into sleeping with someone she was fucking _scared_ of! And you didn’t care. So, fuck you.”

Harry opened his mouth but closed it again and looked confused. His voice was quiet and hurt when he did speak. “She… she said it was fine after. She said it was good! She said I was right, and that Draco hadn’t been awful. I did what I had to trying to save her life. I don’t understand why you’re angry with me!”

“Seriously, ‘hadn’t been awful’? That’s such a fucking low bar. Hermione deserves so much better than ‘not awful’ and you should fucking know that. Draco is terrible. You’re terrible, aren’t you?” Devin addressed him.

Draco swallowed and slowly nodded. “Rather distinctly.”

He wished he wasn’t, but when it came to Hermione, any other answer wouldn’t be the truth.

Harry bristled. “That’s not fair, Devin. Drake is so much better than he was. You haven’t been around to see it.”

Devin rolled his eyes and scoffed. “Sure, so much better than he was. He was a fucking predator before. And I know Hermione told you everything he did to her. Every time he touched her when she didn’t want it but let occur. Because she was worried about what would happen if she didn’t. And before you start, no I don’t actually think Draco would ever do anything like that. I really don’t,” he turned to Draco to assent that more firmly.

“But Hermione didn’t know that. She knows she has to be careful around anyone that acts like that. Fuck, even his own parents don’t let him near her because they know how nervous she gets. Yet you just served her up to him on a fucking platter. Thinking you know so much better. Better than Hermione fucking Granger.”

Harry’s eyes dulled as his actions were put in front of him, told from a different perspective.

Draco knew that feeling intimately and was experiencing it, too. His body trying to reject it as his mind warred with itself. A ghoulish dissonance formed between the different parts. One side held the perceived logic and excuses of his past behaviour and the other was guilt-ridden. It had always teetered on the edges of his decisions, knowing he could have made better ones.

It was a visceral feeling of acute disgust. It made him want to reach down his own throat and pull out whatever piece of specific ephemera was the essence of who he was. Then he wanted to squeeze it between his hands until who he had been was destroyed.

Draco always ran away from the feeling; it was too intense. Harry appeared to be embracing it, the remorse rolling over him as he curled in on himself. But Harry had always been brave. At that moment, Draco envied him.

“Fuck.” Harry sounded broken, a cracking warble in his voice. “OK, I’ll go to the Ministry. I’ll get whatever is needed done. Where do we meet next and when?”

Theo stepped up. “Meet at my office when you can. I’ll head there now and start working on that list you need Devin.” He nodded to the wizard and walked by Draco placing a hand on his shoulder. “It’s going to be OK.”

Then he Apparated away.

Draco wasn’t sure if Theo meant Hermione or the abhorrence he felt for himself. He shouldn’t even be able to look at her let alone touch her. He felt sick knowing he’d have to if they intended to save her. He racked his brain trying to find a way to not put her through that again.

Harry Apparated, too. Devin approached him.

“I’m sorry.” Draco’s words floated between them.

“I appreciate you are, but I’m really not the one you need to tell.” Devin was softer now, knowing the things he’d said had cut Draco deeply with their unflinching truth. He sighed before continuing, moving closer. “Your life is still a tragedy, Draco. But you’re the one writing it that way. You can change the narrative, you know.”

“I need to go,” Draco forced out, the flinching of Hermione pulling away from every touch at his parent’s benefit replaying in his mind. He swallowed bile. Saliva pooling in his mouth.

Devin shook his head. “Nope. Can’t allow that-”

But Draco cut him off. ‘No, I’ll be back. Of course I will. I just need to get some things from the Manor.”

Devin searched his eyes to see if he was lying but nodded. “Get supplies for making Protean charms as well. You’re the most proficient with spells like that.”

“Alright,” Draco was burning with shame and could barely meet the wizard’s gaze.

Devin jerked his head toward the bar. “I’ll get anything we left behind upstairs. See you in a bit.”

Devin started to turn away but paused. “This is a real opportunity to be better, Draco. Try to prove those who have faith in you right.”

He disappeared into the building and Draco brought out his wand. His hands were shaking.

With a flick and a crack, he landed in the sitting room his parents used in the evenings. It was around eleven-thirty now and they were preparing to end their day.

“Draco?” his mother looked at him with wide eyes, scared. He wondered why for a moment before he felt the stinging flay of torn flesh and his shirt sticking to him, wet with blood. He’d splinched himself.

“I need your h-help,” he managed before he stumbled and voided the contents of his stomach on the parquet floor.

The next few minutes he couldn’t properly comprehend. He knew he was lying on one of the couches. His mother was working with an elf to repair the damage he’d done to himself. His father was trying to talk to him, but he couldn’t hear anything past the rush of blood in his ears. He tried to breathe but it was like his lungs wouldn’t hold any air even as he tried to gulp it in. His father raised his wand, and he was knocked out.

A burst of energy wrenched him upright as a _Renervate_ pulsed through him.

He scrambled to his feet, gently pushing away his mother’s arms as she tried to make him lay down.

“Hermione. It’s Hermione. The end of the Transit… she needs help.” His voice was strained and tinged with mania. His gaze flicked between his parents. Narcissa had gasped quietly and looked to his father who instantly clenched his jaw, his brow creasing in distress.

“How? How do we help?” Lucius spoke. He was shaking like he had when he’d learned of the task Draco had taken on for the Dark Lord.

“I need access to the potion stores. We need to hurry.” He looked at his watch, he’d already been gone for over an hour. They would be waiting for him. Shakily he used his Protean and messaged Theo:

_Splinched myself, got knocked out. Be there soon._

The reply was almost immediate.

_Let me know if you need a Side-Along when ready.”_

“Come along, son.” Lucius helped him, giving his mother a reassuring look as they exited the room. “What happened?”

“Hermione disappeared after the Transit began. Her vampire bodyguard told us she went to die and before we could ask him more, he just disappeared in a shadow.”

Lucius halted them and whirled to face Draco. “He shadow-ported?” Draco blinked at him, so his father clarified, “He didn’t Apparate? He melted into shadow?”

Draco nodded, there’d been no crack or cast of Apparition.

Lucius tugged him along, but Draco was shocked to see his lip curling and a widening stress in his eyes.

“Leylander,” his father growled. “What else did it say?”

“Wha-” Draco began but his father jerked insistently on his arm.

“I’ll explain later!” Lucius barked. “What else did it say?”

“That Hermione wasn’t ready, and he’d go to another time.”

Lucius relaxed, his shoulders unbunching with a long exhalation. “Good. Our Hermione is safe. That’s good.”

They had arrived at the potion stores and Lucius stroked the metal-wrought door which melted away at his touch. As much as Draco wanted to press what his father meant, he knew he shouldn’t right now.

“Why is Hermione in trouble?” his father asked carefully. He gripped Draco’s shoulder in support with a concerned look on his face. Draco knew he wasn’t going to judge but try to help.

“It didn’t work. Hermione has been having panic attacks and they are triggered when she… engages in amorous activity.” He looked away but his father nodded.

“We wondered what the catalyst was, the elves have had to calm her on more than one occasion when she’s stayed here. She wouldn’t talk about it. Perhaps I should have pushed,” Lucius rested his bottom lip against a thumb, rubbing it in regret.

Draco looked at the man, marvelling again at how close he was to Hermione. A tiny stricken whine left him at how colossally he had screwed up his relationship with the witch.

“Draco.” Lucius called his attention. He looked up dolefully. “Think about your time with her and try to pinpoint when it occurred. Maybe you can find something that will help to avoid it happening again.”

Draco conjured up the memory, a longing pang twanging in his heart. He screwed up his eyes to concentrate better.

Her smell was the first thing that came to him. He had hardly ever been close enough to breathe in what her skin wafted. It was honeyed peach and caramelised oudh with something fresh and clean like early morning sunlight on frost-tipped dew. He remembered how soft she had been, the curve of her waist warm in his hands. Her amazing hair, luscious and full. Her voice in his ear, her lips at his neck, her hands everywhere, so incredibly everywhere.

He shook his head to focus better. He was getting too caught up in it.

 _All roads lead to Theo_ , Devin’s words rang in his head. A sinking dread hit him. He knew exactly what he’d done.

He opened his eyes but stared past his father. “The necklace she wears… I ripped it away from her.”

“The one with her engagement stone on it?”

Draco nodded. He remembered the granulated remains the stone had been nestled in. It must have shown in his face.

“There’s more,” his father guessed. Draco hesitated. With a flourish of his hand, his father silently suggested he continue.

“The chain it sat on… it wasn’t just a piece of metal. She’d transfigured it from her broken marriage bond after everything happened on their wedding day. I knew that. I was the one who unspelled from her. When I pulled it off her the other day, the stasis charm was removed, too. It was just a pile of dust afterwards. I think she watched as I destroyed the last remnant of her bond with Theo.”

He felt a compounding guilt and a pricking in his eyes, so he turned away from Lucius to scour the shelves as he finished. “I knew what it was, and I wanted it gone. I’m fairly certain I took the stasis off on purpose.”

Draco cringed internally. He wasn’t ‘fairly certain’, he knew. He’d known then and he knew now, and he was being a coward by hedging around the truth. He focused on reading the parchment labels attached to the various vials.

Draco picked up two calming draughts and a few healing potions just in case he injured himself again while they were searching for Hermione. He stored the glass tubes in his jacket pocket.

His father hadn’t said anything, and Draco was too afraid to look at him. But as his hand hovered over another potion, Lucius’ voice wavered out.

“Yes. Take it. And son-” Draco carefully slid his eyes to where his father stood beside him. His eyes were wet and there was a crushing set to his shoulders that Draco clenched at in recognition. It was failure. His father thought he had failed Hermione.

“Yes?” Draco prompted.

“If this doesn’t work... bring her back. We’ll inter her here if she doesn’t have any other arrangements made. I’ll not let the Ministry give her some public tomb somewhere, she’d hate that.”

Tears squeezed out of Draco as he screwed his eyes shut at how heartsick his father sounded. His Occluding had finally failed him completely.

“Dad…” the word came out before he could think about it too much. Lucius gripped his hand to show he was listening. “She’s wearing a dress you got her last year.”

A shuddering sigh left the other man. Sodden tracks marking his face.

“I think she chose it on purpose, to let you know she didn’t blame you. To thank you. Fuck, I’m so sorry.”

Draco properly broke down then. Lucius pulled him tight so he could sob into his shoulder, crying too.

As he clung to his father, he couldn’t think of any version of himself that would save Hermione. There wasn’t enough time. He couldn’t be redeemed.

Draco wasn’t sure how long they stayed there, gripping onto each other for support but he felt his pocket burn and knew he had to get back.

He drew himself away. His voice was croaking and raw. “I have to go. They’re waiting for me.”

Lucius nodded and they silently returned to the sitting room.

Theo was there and Draco’s mother was crying, face pressed into her hands as Theo embraced her.

Draco watched his friend wipe a knuckle under his eye, inspecting the tear he’d collected.

“Come on, Drake. We’ve only got four and a bit hours to find her.”

“Bring her back to us,” his mother told him before Lucius drew her close.

As Draco moved to Theo, waiting for the Side-Along, he saw his father’s eyes flick between Theo and himself and nod. A wordless acknowledgment. Draco nodded back right as they Apparated.

They landed in Theo’s office.

“Finally. You should have told me if you couldn’t manage it safely. I would have gone with you,” Devin berated him. “Portkey is spelled. You got the Proteans?”

“Shit. I forgot,” Draco said but pulled out a few Galleons and started the charm on them instead.

Devin tipped his head back to the ceiling. “I miss Hermione. The three of you are useless.”

“Hey, I feel I’ve been quite helpful,” Theo retorted.

“Fine, I’ll concede that. But the other two… blithering fucking idiots.”

“What did you do Harry?” Draco asked while he completed the wand movements.

Harry just crossed his arms.

“Wonder Boy here was so focused on looking for Hermione’s pseudonym, he forgot to look for her actual name. She’s gone to Italy, by the way.”

Devin handed Theo a slip of parchment with the letterhead of the Portkey office and an address on it. _Appia Antica, 42, 00178 Roma RM, Italy_ , Draco read over his shoulder.

Theo nodded. “I know exactly where she would have gone. The last mile. We never finished it. I thought she would have done it by herself. But I guess not.”

Devin bobbed his head seeming to know what that meant. Draco finally realised why it was imperative that Theo was with them. Anywhere she would go would have been somewhere special to the two of them.

Devin picked up another list and tapped it with his wand, eliminating options that were written down. He copied it three times and handed it out.

“Is your girlfriend OK with you doing this?” Draco asked Theo.

“Fiancée now,” Theo corrected. Three heads turned to him. “Popped the question yesterday. When we found out you’d invited Hermione to your birthday, Jacqueline decided to stay home. Thought we’d wait ‘til she was in Australia to announce it. But yes, she’s fine. I literally cannot feel anything for Hermione. Not much to compete with.”

Draco clapped him on the back. “Congrats. Truly, mate.”

But Theo waved a hand, “Let’s do the congratulations and celebration when we can actually be happy about it. But thank you.”

“Right, well we should go then.” Devin held out a splintered chopstick to them and waited until they were all touching it before saying the activation word and Draco’s still queasy stomach was severely tested by the longer journey to Italy.

They came out at an Apparition point that was hidden near a cobbled road with grassy embankments on either side. The Appian Way.

Devin was already moving forward just in case Hermione was conveniently around.

“It’s best if we split up. Theo, you know where on the road she would have gone, so start there. You can do the first half of the list, up until the Aventine Keyhole. Draco and I will do the latter half, Potter you go with Theo.” Devin looked at his watch and uttered an incantation, a countdown appearing on his wand. “It’s currently 2.30am local time. We need to aim to find her before six but the earlier the better. We have until 6.49am before the Transit ends.”

It really didn’t seem like long enough. Draco swallowed down the bubbling feeling of being sick again.

Devin was still going. “Theo, you going to be OK heading to the Temple of Venus or you want me and Draco to do that one?”

Theo shook his head. “No, it’s fine.”

“Alright, check in every half hour on your Proteans and don’t skimp on your searching,” Devin concluded his instructions with a hard look at Theo and Harry that promised the anger of a thousand suns if they failed. The way Devin created and carried out plans reminded Draco very much of Hermione. Her bossiness had clearly rubbed off on the younger wizard.

Theo nodded and Harry looked like he wanted to say something but thought better of it, turning to follow down the ancient thoroughfare.

Devin didn’t wait before grabbing Draco’s elbow and Apparating them away. They arrived on the island where Theo and Hermione were meant to get married.

“This one’s a long shot since she pretty much only has memories of the two of us here, but we need to make sure.”

Draco watched a little amused as Devin deftly broke the wards on a back entrance and unlocked the door with a series of illegal charms.

“Some fun little tricks you picked up from Granger there,” he noted as he entered behind.

“You know, she actually breaks a surprising number of laws. I’ve never known her to own a handbag that wasn’t secretly spelled with an illegal Extending Charm,” Devin replied easily.

They walked through the building which was dark and empty. Draco cast an illegal charm himself to allow them to see better in the gloom. _Lumos_ being too obvious.

They headed for the floor with the suites, but Draco highly doubted she’d be here. He could tell Devin was just ticking off a box.

“Why haven’t you yelled at me?” Draco asked Devin as they checked through the various rooms on the floor.

“Because I had a go at Harry you mean?” Devin answered him. Draco nodded. “I don’t have to yell at you. You already have a sizeable weight of self-hatred that you’ve developed over the years which shows remorse at least. And Hermione doesn’t trust you anyway.”

“And Harry? He doesn’t hate himself enough for your liking?”

“Don’t be stupid.” Devin opened another door and walked around the room casting a few spells and entering the bathroom before turning back to Draco who was waiting in the doorway. “No, it’s because Hermione trusts Harry implicitly. But Harry seems to think that just because _he’s_ friends with you that Mione is as well. He still considers them a bit of a package deal. He’s always thought out of the three of them, it would be Ron that didn’t trust you.”

Devin came to stand near Draco and regarded him coolly. “You’re not right for her.”

“I know.” It was all Draco could say, really.

“The problem is, the rest of them have been around the idea and _you_ for so long, they’ve come around to it. They see how your parents love her, how close you all are as friends. They play and watch Quidditch with you, they celebrate promotions, baby showers and birthdays with you. They owl you when they’re having a crappy day because they know you’re there for them so they can vent. You even babysit their kids.”

Devin’s expression had softened during all this and he shook his head sadly. “And they see Hermione so little that their coupled-up lizard brains put the two of you together because you’re both single and you already love her. So naturally you belong together. However, you never show her the niceties you’re capable of. All she gets is you insulting her because she asks.”

There was a pause then Devin spoke again. “To most, you are a perfectly adequate match for Hermione. And the fact that they conveniently forget all the horrible things you’ve done to her makes me feel ill. But I see the way Harry champions the idea of you and her together. And they follow his lead. So yeah, I’m mad at him.”

Devin had obviously been keeping tabs on him. The wizard’s implication was clear. Hermione needed someone exceptional. And Draco absolutely was not.

The only room they needed to go through now was the honeymoon suite where Hermione had retreated that fateful day.

Going in was strange. It had been redecorated with walls knocked out, changing the dimensions. Draco had trouble remembering exactly where everything used to be. Devin seemed to be experiencing the same thing as he walked around.

“Do you ever wonder why her body was trying to shut down so badly that day?” Devin asked.

Had he? Not really. He’d stayed because Hermione had asked him to. Because he’d revelled in her needing him. Needing him to be who he’d always been to her. Cold, heartless and awful.

He had years of memories to pull from where he would insult her just so she’d give him a sliver of her time. And to see how he could affect her.

But being with her properly had really shown him how idiotic he’d been. The way she’d pecked the side of his neck and thanked him with genuine sincerity. When she’d let him kiss her in a way that showed him how he could have adored her. How she’d smiled at him with that gorgeous light sparkling in her eyes before she’d left. It had made him float.

But he was a selfish creature. Always had been. While he had given extensive thought about how she affected him... No, he rarely thought about how it was for her.

So, he simply shook his head at Devin’s query. The other wizard quirked his mouth and offered his own theory.

“I always thought she needed to retreat and heal. That staying cognizant of everything caused the schism in her mind. Her magic was near fried, she’d endured huge amounts of physical pain from Venus trying to crush her and then been dealt emotional torture. I don’t think she was just broken-hearted. She was broken. And you kept her hanging on. So, she remains broken.”

Devin shrugged like it wasn’t something Draco could have known. Like he wasn’t a mind reader. Except he kind of was.

“She’s not here. I knew she wouldn’t be.” Devin turned and exited.

Draco followed him back to the Apparition point and they went to the next destination, Rome’s Magic Door. But she wasn’t there either. The Protean told them Harry and Theo hadn’t had any luck either.

He and Devin made their way down the list, but she wasn’t at Capitoline Hill (3.16am) or the gelato shop tucked down a side-street near the Vatican (3.42am), or her favourite cosy traditional Italian restaurant in Florence (4.13am), or the secret Da Vinci library (4.47am) or the members-only apothecary in Naples (5.15am). And she wasn’t at their last port of call, the Aventine Keyhole. Draco watched as his companion became noticeably agitated, the edges of panic starting to seep into his body.

It was twenty to six in the morning now. They had just messaged the other two to meet back where they had first arrived on the Appian Way once they’d finished up the last place on their list.

Devin was silently pacing as they waited. Draco could tell he shouldn’t say anything to him. The wizard was liable to snap at any moment.

A ratcheting pressure was building in him. A creeping feeling of hopelessness as the seconds ticked by.

As soon as the crack of Apparition sounded and they were joined by Theo and Harry, Devin started speaking, not wasting any time.

“We know her Portkey was a return one and there are two reasons I can fathom for that. Either she has places in England she wants to go to last or she arranged it that way for whoever finds her body. There’s every chance that Hermione did exactly what we did and visited her favourite spots here, and we could have just missed her. I think the four of us need to each go to a location and just wait there. If she shows up, ask her what she wants to do.”

Harry opened his mouth to protest.

“I mean it, Harry. Do not try to force her, you don’t know everything. I promise you, whatever you’re thinking, it won’t work.” Devin’s look was not one to be argued with. His shoulders fell as a deep inconsolable sadness enveloped him. “Just be there for her and let me know as soon as she arrives. Depending on where she is, it might take me a few Apparitions to get there.”

“Obviously I want to be there, too.” Harry ran his hands through his hair.

“Message me as well,” Theo spoke up. He wasn’t falling into grief, but he was clearly feeling empathy for how awful the rest of them looked. Draco gave him an enquiring glance and Theo lifted a shoulder. “Loving that woman is still the best decision I’ve ever made. I intend to honour it. And… I think she’ll want to see me at the end.”

They all turned to Draco.

He looked up and saw the deep umbra of night was slowly receding, reminding him quite how close morning was. He blinked to try keep away everything he was holding back.

“Unless for some reason she wants to see me, I can’t.” Draco’s voice broke. He dropped his head and started shaking it, gripping his bicep where his arms were crossed over his chest. “I can’t. I just... can’t.”

He desperately wanted to leave, walk away from all of this and forget. But no matter where he went this crushing sorrow would follow anyway.

Theo came over and slung an arm around him. Draco gripped his friend’s shoulder, fisting his hand in the fabric of his jacket.

Draco spoke low into where Theo had dipped his head. “If- If she doesn’t make it. Please take her to the Manor. My father wants to inter her in the family mausoleum. And… they’ll want to say goodbye.”

Theo squeezed him tighter. “Drake, the return for her Portkey... it’s already for the Manor. Makes sense, it’s where Hermione and I had our first date. And she would want to say goodbye to your parents as well. She loves them so much, you know.” Theo pulled back and took in Draco’s tear-streaked face with creased sympathy. “Knowing Hermione, she wouldn’t want to die somewhere that was all happy for her. I think she’ll spend some time in the ballroom but go just beyond it to the drawing room. She told us she would have happily died for Harry, so that room already has a finality to it.”

Harry was sitting on the embankment not too far away looking grey and he’d bitten his lip raw. Devin approached them, clearly impatient with their lack of action.

“Theo, where are the four most likely places she would go? Here or back in England?”

“I’d say she’d either stay at the Manor when she lands or go to the hotel where we were married. Other potential options are further along the road here where I first told her I loved her or her old flat in London. She finally listed it; Jacqueline saw it when she was house-hunting the other day. It’s currently empty. I would have thought the Embassy, but that place is always too busy.” Devin took in the information nodding.

“Not Villa Borghese where she finally accepted your proposal?” Devin queried.

Theo dug a hand into his inner jacket pocket and pulled out the sunstone. “She left this there, I don’t think she’ll go back.”

Devin took the stone with shaking hands. It was confirmation that she had given up. A wretched distress settled on the man’s face.

Theo spoke again. “When I saw she wasn’t wearing it today, I finally felt relaxed around her. I thought whatever had happened with Draco meant she felt she could finally move on. Then I found the stone at the pavilion where we got engaged.”

Theo looked confused and Draco drew away from him. Devin caught the movement.

“What Draco? You know something about that?” Devin’s voice was accusatory.

Draco swallowed and looked down at the ground. “I pulled it off her. The necklace transformed back into her broken marriage bond and it disintegrated. That’s what triggered her panic.”

“That chain was her marriage bond? That’ll explain the strange pull I felt in my magic yesterday,” Theo said, unconsciously rubbing his chest.

“Fuc. King. Hell.” Harry hung his head. “Why did you do that, Drake? We all knew what that meant to her. Why the hell would you pull it off her?”

Suddenly it was all too much for Draco and he didn’t have his walls to protect him.

“Because she was right there. On me. Finally in my arms and it was still between us. So, I yanked it off her and threw it away.” Draco’s voice was growling and the possessiveness he was trying so hard to get rid of slipped through. He scoffed, looking right at Harry. “Why do you think I did it? I wanted her to be _mine_. Not anyone else’s.”

Harry looked at him in shock. “Is this the compulsion or whatever talking?”

Draco smirked. “No. Your wonderful friend fucked that out of me. And Potter? It was amazing. So much stamina in such a tiny body.”

Draco watched the storm roll in over Harry’s face as he stood and began stalking over.

Devin stepped between them and rolled a bored head. “Harry, he’s trying to get you angry. He doesn’t want to feel what he’s feeling so he’s lashing out.” He turned back to Draco. “Very mature,” he added.

“And just what is he feeling?” Harry demanded.

Devin pulled out the Portkey and began spelling it idly. “He feels like he’s disappointed you. So, he’s doubling-down.” He gestured at them again to Theo. “Honestly… fucking idiots.”

Harry’s gaze swept over Draco before looking to Devin again. “And this is what he’s usually like with Mione?”

Devin raised his eyebrows, surprised Harry needed to even ask before continuing his wandwork. “Used to be. Before he decided to try improve himself.” He finished imbuing the coordinates into the Portkey. “Draco, you’ll be staying at the Manor, obviously. Harry, take her old apartment and I’ll go to the hotel. Theo, you’ll have to stay here, the rest of us won’t know where to go along the Way. If you need to get to one of us, take this card and go to the Embassy. You remember Stefan there? He still owes me a rather spectacular favour. He’ll get you a Portkey.”

Devin looked between them all. “So, everyone ready? No one wanting to make this hellish experience even worse?” There was silence. “Good.”

He held out the chopstick and Harry placed a finger on it while Draco pinched the other end hesitantly. Something was niggling at him like it wasn’t right. Devin looked at them then began the activation word and Draco dropped his hand just as the other two were sucked away.

Theo stared at him with wide eyes. “What are you doing? Why didn’t you go with them? Are you giving up? We have to do everything we can! You’re the only one who can save her, you fucking arsehole!”

“I’m not though, Theo.” He turned to his friend and squeezed his shoulder. “All roads lead to you.”

He brushed Theo’s jacket and balled his fist watching his friend’s incredulous face. He quirked his mouth and Apparated.

After he landed, Draco picked his way through the ruins of the Roman Forum. The sun was rising now, sending more purples and hints of orange through the sky. He wasn’t sure exactly what he was looking for, but something Theo had said placed a thought in his mind.

Hermione would go somewhere she already associated with death. He didn’t think anyone else knew, but she’d told him she’d wanted to die when Theo had his love for her consumed. He cast a Disillusionment charm over himself and took a calming draught since his Occluding was still failing him. He prepared another potion and downed it. He really hoped he was right.

* * *

Hermione sat on the stone bench she’d once had a meltdown on. The ruins of the Temple of Venus were behind her, the shadows of the columns just starting to grow as the sun rose higher. Her modified _Tempus_ charm showed there were forty-one minutes left until the end of the Transit.

She smiled. There wasn’t really anything else to do now.

She tickled the soles of her feet through the dry summer grass. She’d taken off her shoes a while ago. They didn’t seem terribly important and she so rarely went barefoot outdoors.

Her runes had been throbbing from when the end of the Transit had begun. It had started small aside from the initial burst of pain, but they were also glowing now, the shining light making its way through her dress and glimmering over her arm. It was very pretty for something that was a harbinger of doom.

Her fingers lazily played with the velvet ribbon on her other wrist. She’d cast protection charms on it and spelled a message on how to activate it as a Portkey. A message would be sent to the Italian Embassy at exactly 6.49am reporting the incident and she would cast concealment charms on herself beforehand. She’d planned for this. She’d made it as easy as possible.

She breathed in the already warm Roman air. She missed Italy. She’d never been happier than the years she spent here with Theo. She gave another small smile. She slightly regretted leaving the sunstone at Villa Borghese, but it had felt right at the time.

She sighed and her eyes swam with tears again. She wished she could see him. Not the present Theo, of course. But she desperately wanted to see the one that was hers. The one whose eyes lit up when he saw her and kissed her like she was all that mattered in the world. The one who had loved her through her lies and who she’d counted on as a partner, an equal. The one person who understood her inside and out and celebrated her for it.

“Hey sweetness.”

Oh great, now she was hallucinating. She swiped away the tears that had escaped down her cheeks.

“You’re not real,” she told the sky softly.

A body sat beside her on the bench, but she couldn’t bring herself to look.

“How do you figure that?” it asked.

“Because you would never call me that now. I must have finally cracked and I’m seeing things.” She drew the curtain of her hair away and Theo sat there looking back at her. She shook her head. “I’m doing a very good job of it, you even look like you’re still in love with me.”

He huffed a laugh. “So, what are you doing here Mione?”

“I figured I’ve already felt so much pain here, what’s a little more?” she shrugged. “This was the last place you loved me. The last time you said the words, or I was able to touch you… The last time I saw the rest of my life in your eyes. Seemed appropriate for it to be the last of everything else as well.”

“Mm, I guess,” Theo told her. Hesitantly, he reached out and ran a thumb down her jaw to her chin before lifting it to rest in the pillow of her bottom lip. It was slow and caring. She raised her hands, one cradling his wrist, the other his fingers as she placed a gentle kiss across the pad of his thumb. She could feel the subtle grooves in the skin, the way the flesh cushioned against her.

She looked back into his face to see a longing there. A slow exhalation of breath escaping him as she drew her lips away.

“You’re really here, aren’t you?” Her voice was tremulous, she daren’t hope. But he nodded.

“Yes, I’m really here. I’ve been looking for you for hours. Been all over Italy, to all your favourite places.”

Hermione dropped his hand and lifted his arm by the jacket sleeve, placing it back in his lap.

She felt her brow crease in worry for him. “You need to be careful, you’ll hurt yourself if you touch me too long.”

He shook his head and covered her hand with the one she’d just removed. His large fingers gripping hers lightly yet possessively.

Her Theo never held her hand like that. He always threaded their fingers together; his thumb would rub over her own or tap it to get her attention.

Her eyes flew back up to meet his, searching them carefully. There was love in them, but it wasn’t the light, amused and adoring love she knew. Not when she looked deep enough. His gaze was dark, hungry, almost reverent.

She regarded whoever this Theo was, running her eye over him. The way he sat was slightly different, as were the angles with which he held himself, his face serious and not as gentle as usual.

“You’re… not Theo. Not really.”

He leaned in close and whispered at her ear. “Let’s just pretend, Granger.”

Her eyes shuttered as he drew back, and her heart pounded in a small flutter of nerves.

There was only one person who called her that.

“Polyjuice,” she said, looking into her lap where he still held her hand. In her peripheral vision she saw him nod.

A new wave of heartbreak broke over her and she rubbed her chest where that most valiant organ was. Silently apologising to it for how much hurt she’d given it over the past four years. It thudded dully yet with bravery back at her, reminding her it had been worth it even if she hadn’t been able to keep him.

More tears left her. She felt the warm trickle run down her face, caressing her cheek softly in whispered grief.

“I thought it would get easier, but it never did,” she looked out over the field of ruins. “I miss him so much.”

“I miss you too,” he told her. “I miss you every day that you’re not around. And even when you are around, I miss you if you’re not near me.”

Even though she knew it wasn’t Theo speaking, she could hear the truth in the words. He was starting to look even more like Theo now. A softness in his face as he tilted his head back to look at the last stars before the sun erased the shadows they lay in.

“How about we be us one last time?” Not-Theo asked her. “We can just sit here, and you can tell me everything you wish you had before. I’ll let you ask anything of me, any touch, any word, any look. And if you want, we can watch the sun rise and see it take away my most precious thing so in your final moments, as I hold you, you’ll know you won’t be the only one with a broken heart.”

He turned to look at her. “You won’t be alone in this, I promise.”

A tear leaked out of the corner of his eye. He was sitting there, looking like Theo and saying things he’d never say but Theo would. And it was just automatic.

Her hand reached to wipe Theo’s sadness away, leaving her palm on his cheek. Her heart quivered like it always used to and she melted. Her shoulders relaxed, her eyelids fluttered, she gave him the smile that always came out around him. Her brain, for once, retreated and let her feel.

She followed what her skin was craving, what was making her blood rush and a warmth wash through her. She leaned in and kissed him.

The lips were Theo’s, the hair she ran through her fingers was Theo’s and with a quick tap of her wand, his scent was Theo’s, too. Vetiver, poppies, musk. She pulled up and drew in a shaky breath with her eyes closed.

She rested her forehead atop his, nose tips touching. “We can pretend? Just for a little bit?”

“Right now, it’s real. Let it be real.” He brought his hands up her sides in the way that she loved. In exactly the way she loved. Her memories were floating out without her realising because she’d always been free around Theo. He was using them to try make this as genuine as possible. She sat back a little.

“You have my permission,” she said, looking into Theo’s green eyes. Recognition and a flicker of apology ran through them, but he nodded.

Her fingers were trailing over his face, following the contours she knew so well. “Thank you…” the name still stuck in her throat.

“Theo,” he finished with that Theo smile of his that gave him dimples. Her favourite one. “Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten my name, Mione.”

She laughed and kissed him again. “Of course not, Theo.” She turned her brain all the way off, locking her logic and fear away in her castle.

Real. This was going to be real. She placed kisses all over his face punctuating each one with another iteration of his name, “Theo. Theo. Theo,” in a stupidly sweet way like they used to.

It was like having a hot shower after you’d had to walk a couple miles in the freezing rain. She was flushed to her bones, skin singing with sprinkling happiness. She felt alive in a way she hadn’t in so long. It was simply wonderful.

Theo laughed and captured her lips again, holding her wrists as he pulled away. “Hey Mione-”

She smiled, “Yeah?”

“I’ll be right here. Even if you remember, it doesn’t matter because I’m fine and I’m here with you. OK?”

She swallowed heavily but nodded. She brushed a lock of hair off his forehead and brushed her lips against his, casting a spell, “ _Volupta copulor._ ”

His eyes widened for a split second before he saw what it was, the memory slipping out. He smiled at her. “You didn’t let me say it then, the first time you used this.”

“No, I didn’t.”

“Are you going to let me say it now? Is it something you want to hear?” His hands ran over her hair, his eyes darting and resting over her face. The blatant want in him felt like an old friend and she bit her lip as love and desire swirled together. Theo inhaled the sensation with a shiver.

“It’s what I most want to hear every single day.” She caressed his cheek and finished the gradual migration into his lap, wrapping her legs around his back and hugging him tight to her. She sighed, squeezing him and laid her head on his collarbone.

He kissed her neck and brought one arm around her waist and the other crossed her back to curl around the opposite shoulder. “I love you, Hermione. The best decision I ever made in my life was to love you.”

She gasped quietly. She’d imagined hearing him say that to her again so many times, but nothing compared to it rumbling out of him, puffing into her hair so the words got tangled, unable to leave and sticking to her.

She kissed up his neck and along his jaw to his lips again.

“Theo. My amazing, incredible, handsome Theo,” there was a pause while she looked into his eyes and saw her love reflected right back at her with a luminous glow. He was waiting.

“Please save me.”

Beneath her, he gave a small jolt as if his heart had stuttered at her words. With darling care, he ran a hand over her cheek and tucked her hair behind an ear, slowly bringing his lips to hers.

The kiss was perfect. Their tongues shyly bonding again as they met. She would have loved to say she had forgotten how well they slotted together but she hadn’t. It had haunted her that she would never feel it again but now she was moaning with remembered sensation. They shared breath and heat, arousal cresting over her. Theo groaned into her mouth as he felt it, too.

Hermione felt the tingle of magic settle over them and Theo pulled her down onto the now widened bench. They didn’t have to worry about being interrupted with the wards she’d already put up and she let herself sink on top of him, running her hands over the familiar contours of his body through his shirt.

It was when Theo’s tongue dragged across the roof of her mouth in the way she’d only ever known him to do, that she knew she was ready. She was shaking all over from anticipation and forcing herself to go slow, to enjoy this as long as she could. Her entire body was alight, from the throbbing need at the base of her spine to the pulsing desire that adhered to every vertebra. Where it connected to her brain stem, she felt a radiating pleasure that sparked through her mind and sent its racing wonder all through her, pooling in her core, filling it with need.

With a wave of her hand, she vanished her underwear and without breaking from their kiss, she sat on her knees and began slowly undoing Theo’s belt.

She pulled away the smallest amount when her hand was on his zip. “Yes?” she asked in a panting breath.

Theo let out a small noise at how aroused she was, his thighs twitching beneath her.

“Of course, Mione. Please. Of course,” the words left him with a twinge of desperation as her desire compounded with his.

She slowly pulled the metal down, watching Theo writhe slightly and exhale below her in exquisite torture. She readied them beneath the skirt of her dress, hidden from view.

She lay down against his chest. She could hear how fast his heart was beating, a small erotic whine leaving him as he felt her zing of anticipation for what would come next. He was expelling long careful breaths trying to control the intensity and his eyes were closed. She smiled at the sight and sank down.

His eyes flew open to meet hers, dilated black as he took her hands from his chest and laced them with his own, making her sit upright a little and she slipped further down his length. His head tipped back with a groan and she let out a small moan of satisfaction.

It felt like coming home. It felt like it always had, like safety and comfort and being cherished. As she became fully seated upon him, a tear dropped onto her cheek.

“You’re crying, sweetness. Are you OK?” he asked, concerned.

She gave a small, breathy cry full of love and recognition from last time he’d said that to her.

She unlaced one of their hands and cupped the side of his face. “I just love you so much.”

She leant down to kiss him and again and began moving. Slow, so slow. Rocking against him the way they would when at their most loving.

It was beautiful and magical. A different magic from what coursed in their veins already, but one of melting, sinking pleasure when two souls aligned.

She wasn’t even a little bit afraid. Everything she had been afraid for was beneath her fingertips, dancing on her tongue and building a recherché passion where they joined.

The glow from her runes was brighter than ever but the throbbing only aided in pulsing every moment of sweet bliss through her as she tilted into the rolling of his hips.

She felt it coming, the gunpowder trail lighting and crackling through her, readying for the explosion.

He could feel it, too. “Oh gods, Hermione. Please, _please_. Oh _f-fuck_.”

And she came.

It was a moment of silence, as if the world held still for just a second.

Then it crashed upon them, shaking and rattling through her. Sparking, booming fireworks went off, pulsating out from the very centre of her, wracking her with undefinable amounts of euphoria. It coursed through her again and again and she rode it for everything it was worth. Four years of built-up pressure with no release jerking over her as she fully collapsed on top of Theo, his arms wrapping around her as she convulsed with wavering breathy sighs.

This is what she’d needed. Something she’d thought was impossible: to be with her Theo one last time without causing either of them harm. And although it was no longer the end, it definitely felt like an ending, a chapter finally closing, and she couldn’t help tears falling from her eyes as they fluttered shut.

She sank into it all. Her love, her grief, the last of her guilt and her pleasure. The torrent of emotion swirling through her. It started to ease away and at first, she tried to flail and grab onto it like her marriage bond had when it had been broken. But no, it was over now. It was finally done. She let it go.

Everything started to subside, and the black spots receded so she was finally able to take in the world around her. She cast a _Defluo Incantatem_.

She could feel Theo shaking beneath her, head buried in the crook of her neck. One hand was gripping her side tightly and she noticed the glowing was gone. The last item on the shelf of her panic vanished and that small bit that had been holding on inside her relaxed, leaving her with a tiny, puffed sigh.

Theo was mumbling into her skin. She couldn’t hear most of it, but he was clinging to her desperately and her skin was damp with tears.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry Hermione. I love you, I’m so sorry.”

She slipped off him and waved a hand to make them both presentable before pulling him gently upright. She let him hang onto her as he continued to whisper apologies and confessions and she stroked his back to soothe him as the _Volupta copulor_ melted away.

A rippling of magic fell over him and the hair against her cheek changed colour and texture.

 _Goodbye, Theo. I love you_. A pang of grief clenched in her, but it held acceptance now. Her guilt finally assuaged.

The whispers stopped and he puffed a large breath over her neck. She rubbed his shoulder the way she’d seen Narcissa do and he squeezed her a little tighter.

“Are you OK, Draco?”

She heard him try to speak, but it seemed like his throat was too constricted. He slowly released her and stood up, taking a few steps to compose himself.

She turned to look out over the ruins again. They were bright now with the early morning sun. After a minute or so, Draco sat back beside her.

He pulled out his wand and a Galleon. He cast a _Tempus_ charm first, inhaling sharply as he saw it was 6.43am, only six minutes before the end of the Transit.

She watched him spell a message on the coin. _Got her. She’s going to be OK._ Then he tossed it on the ground behind him.

He sat back on his arms and tipped his head upwards, sighing.

She let him relax for a couple moments before she spoke. “Thank you.”

The corner of his mouth tilted upward. “Don’t think I would have survived the day either if I hadn’t come here, Granger. Devin’s on the warpath.”

She turned on the bench to face him. “I don’t mean for that. Well, I do. But more for how you did it. That can’t have been easy for you.”

He brought his head back down and glanced at her, the question on his face.

She twisted back to the ruins again. “Because everything you said was the truth. But everything _I_ said, I didn’t say to you.”

They were silent for a moment, letting the morning sink into their skin. Draco changed the subject.

“When are you heading to Australia?”

“I’m not sure if I will be.”

He looked at her.

“I’ve just been offered the position to be the British representative for the International Confederation of Wizards.”

His eyebrows shot up. It was an incredible honour, and he knew it. One of the most powerful positions in the world, in fact. His face softened into an expression that of course she belonged on such a prestigious world stage.

“Where is it being called this time?” he asked her.

“Ireland.”

“That’s a lot closer than Australia.”

She nodded, she didn’t know if she’d accept it yet. There was another pause. She could feel a trepidation in him like he wasn’t sure how she’d respond to what he wanted to say next.

He breathed out and said it anyway, scuffing a shoe on the ground. “I suppose I owe you an apology.”

She laughed and he angled his head at her not having expected that reaction.

“No, I owe _you_ an apology. For this whole mess,” she gestured blithely around them and shook her head. “I think you owe me more than just _one_.”

He snorted. “I guess so, yeah.” She rolled her eyes at him, but she was smiling. He looked at her again.

“I love my birthday present, by the way. You should come with me to the publishing house. I think you’ll like seeing the magic of how the books are made.” The offer was genuine but surprised her.

She shifted her eyes to him with a tinge of wariness. “That sounds suspiciously like a date.”

“Only to Hermione Granger,” he laughed. “How about a mutual apology outing?”

“For the amount of apologies you owe me, we’d be going on such outings forever,” she quipped back.

There was a pause.

“Lucky me.”

It was soft and suffused with honesty. She took a moment and faced the ever-lightening ruins.

“I haven’t agreed-"

“Mm. Yeah, you haven’t.”

They were quiet again. The adrenaline of before was eking out of her and she was starting to feel a heavy tiredness seep into her bones. She sighed.

“I’ll probably always love him,” she confessed.

His fingers twitched against her own and ever so slowly, as if he were second guessing every incremental movement, he slipped his hand into hers and threaded their fingers.

She looked down at where they were connected unsure how to feel about it. She lifted her head, and he gave her a small smile. His eyes held a spark she hadn’t ever seen before.

“I know the feeling.”

She didn’t pull away but kept her eyes on his, wondering. For once when she looked at him all she saw was understanding. He smiled again and she returned it as they faced back to watch the city come alive.

She didn’t know exactly what her future held but it looked bright for the first time in four years.

She didn’t have to figure it out today.

Because now, there was always tomorrow.

THE END

* * *

Some readers have asked for the tragic version of the ending of this story. I have linked it below. Warning: it is a Major Character Death ending and deals with suicide, death, grief, panic attacks, injury, and huge wobbling heapings of heartbreak.

[Transit of Venus: Alternate Ending](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29644383)


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